tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36753215067033928282018-03-13T00:35:37.024-07:00Author Marketing 101The 7 Primary Points to Stand Out From The CrowdTherese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-79032394710865509852017-02-20T13:22:00.000-08:002017-02-20T13:51:19.979-08:00Night Owl Reviews: Marketing Fun With Friends<i><u>Morgan says:</u></i><br /><div><br /></div><div>Okay, okay...normally we don't promote specific sites or services and even our comments on software come with caveats. BUT, I have to let you all know about a FUN way to do some cross-promotions. Author Scavenger Hunts! As a marketing professional, I'm a pretty tough nut to crack with regards to messaging. However, this event caught my eye AND I've purchased TWO books (thus far) because of it...so, I felt it merited some analysis.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16OBMJ0QsEU/WKtUQig32BI/AAAAAAAABTg/_FSFOm6xjw0kaNa4a3SwAM7bzcAVK5_ywCLcB/s1600/NOR_Tea_Party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16OBMJ0QsEU/WKtUQig32BI/AAAAAAAABTg/_FSFOm6xjw0kaNa4a3SwAM7bzcAVK5_ywCLcB/s400/NOR_Tea_Party.jpg" width="590" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Tea-Books-2017" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">Night Owl Reviews' latest Scavenger Hunt</span></i></a></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The folks at <a href="https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Tea-Books-2017" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Night Owl Reviews (NOR)</b></span></a> are currently having an author scavenger hunt. Now, before you think that you have to go running all over the inter-webs to find information, take a deep breath and relax. NOR's scavenger hunt has entrants go to the author pages on <i><u>their</u></i> site...and the author pages have NOR's starred reviews, back cover copy, and book <b>BUY links</b> to accommodate an impulse buy. They even have a <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnmY3g2tSNw" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">handy video</span></a> </span></b>to tell you how the whole thing works. The more author pages you visit, the more chances you have to win prizes. In addition, if you share the link to the scavenger hunt on social media, you get even more chances to win.</div><div><br /></div><h3>Here's why this marketing promotion works:</h3><div><ul><li><i><b>46 Authors are involved.</b></i> Imagine that each of those authors has 100 friends, readers, or associates who are willing to check out the link to this scavenger hunt. That would be 4,600 potential readers who may stumble upon your book. (Well, 4500 if you subtract the 100 folks you bring to the party as one of the participating authors.) Plus, that's just author's promoting the event, NOR and NOR affiliates (like me*) are also drawing attention to the scavenger hunt. The sheer number of eyeballs (readers) who may find your books is worth the effort of signing up.</li><li><i><b>Readers HAVE to visit your author page</b></i>. Sure, there will be some folks who race to the key word needed for an additional drawing entry. But your beautiful covers and amazing cover copy will give them pause and even entice a few to click the BUY button. (I did...TWICE...for authors and books that I didn't even know existed until I played along with the hunt.)</li><li><b><i>Participants promote the event.</i></b> They get another entry if they re-Tweet the event Tweet...which means even more folks helping to spread the word to potential readers.</li></ul><h3>Cross-Promotions at its best:</h3><div>The way this event is structured is an excellent means for cross-promotion. The beautiful thing about it is that it's NOT genre specific. Sure there are quite a few romances among the featured titles, but there are also some paranormal, fantasy, adventure, YA, and historical fiction mixed in there, too.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, of course, you could organize your writer friends and do something similar or you could work with a site like NOR to handle the infrastructure and logistics. And, who knows, you may just find some new readers along the way.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>*Full disclosure: I write a column for NOR's e-magazine, so I am most definitely a NOR affiliate.&nbsp;</i></div><ul></ul></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-405121730980201122016-12-02T04:00:00.000-08:002016-12-02T04:00:18.014-08:00Holiday Hiatus....<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We're on holiday hiatus... we hope that you and your families have a wonderful holiday season!&nbsp;</h3><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vSTIO7y_N6o/VfM32PbtV7I/AAAAAAAABOU/ai2qoZ7Uavkm80m4zo0z8AlwhWMdQea4wCKgB/s1600/Happy%2BHolidays_Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vSTIO7y_N6o/VfM32PbtV7I/AAAAAAAABOU/ai2qoZ7Uavkm80m4zo0z8AlwhWMdQea4wCKgB/s640/Happy%2BHolidays_Image.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">New content will be posted in 2017 and we advise subscribing to this blog, or follow by email, so you do not miss a post.&nbsp;</h3>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-43628123145698051302016-11-04T04:00:00.000-07:002016-11-04T04:00:02.868-07:00Your Website is Your Business Office and Bookstore<blockquote class="tr_bq"><b><i>Theresa and Morgan Say:</i></b> &nbsp;There’s a plethora of advice on how to publish and sell books. Before you bother with any of it consider if being an author is a cool hobby for you or a career path. Either choice is fine but whether you have one book or a hundred – you need a website. Even social media stars have a website.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Here’s a truth – there are readers who will find you IF you give them something to find and a way to buy your books. The best way to do both is with a website that is your business office and bookstore. It’s all about you and your books!</blockquote><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Basic Web Content for PRE-Published Authors:</span></b><br /> <br /><b>Home Page </b>- This is your landing page and home base for your website. It always contains the most up-to-date information. This is where You and Your Work shines at first glance and engages the reader. ALL your digital posting and physical handouts contain this Website Address. Think of this Home Page as the Reception Area of your office-store and the first impression a customer or client has when they walk in the door. How they are greeted will flavor whether they want to step farther into your realm. If you write horror stories your readers want daggers and darkness when they arrive. Don't expect them to be happy with plush ivory couches for a cozy reading experience. Avoid anything that takes time to load like music, video, or extensive graphics.<br /><br /><b>Author Bio / About Me Page: </b>Here is where you provide some background information about your author PERSONA. Content can include: why you write a specific genre, what inspires you, quirky facts, jobs, hobbies, astrological sign, etc. Whatever you put on this page should provide some peek at your voice / writing style. Access to this page is only through the reception area where the reader, or agent or editor, has entered and you've shaken hands, you now welcome them into your Personal Office. This is your professional BIO expanded into an engaging persona that can interact with both readers and financial backers. <br /><br /><b>Contact Page</b>: Either as a separate web page / tab on your navigation bar or prominently displayed as a sidebar on your home page, this is to encourage people to contact you. Here is where you put your links to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. in addition to your direct email address. This is a good page for a POP UP request for them to subscribe to your newsletter or New Release Notice. <br /><br />** Even if you have a full sidebar of every social media graphic, Direct Contact Email is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Professionals at every level are busy and prefer to dash off a quick email if interested in you.<br /><br /><b>Optional Page: <i>Research Projects / My Crafts / Why it is worth your time to Check Me Out:</i> </b>This is sort of like a HOLDING SPOT for your future Books Page in your office-store. It is NOT recommended to advertise your books until you have something to sell or a release date. This page can be a blog where you present something engaging on a consistent basis that welcomes audience participation. An avid reader will love interacting with you so here's where your Author Persona needs professional polish. Be gracious when you respond to a reader who gushes about how your book helped them survive the hours of agony while their spouse passed a kidney stone. Give your future readers a peek at your writing, But NOT your plot. Do NOT post mock covers of your books....readers always seem to miss the fact that the book isn't published. They will head to the store only to be frustrated when they can't buy your books.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Basic Web Content for Published Authors:</span></b><br /><br /><b>Same as ABOVE: Home Page Author Bio / About Me </b><br /><br /><b>Contact Page for Published Authors</b> compares to a business Conference Room and should be updated and reviewed at least once a month. Think of this page as your Most Professional Author Persona. Your Business card and Media Kit is displayed on the table in this room. Publicists, reviewers, editors, and estranged family members, can have an easy to download packet of the most fabulous you. ALSO make sure you have a DIRECT EMAIL or Contact form that works (send yourself tests through random computers once a month). <br /><br /><b>Books Page: IS Your Personal Bookstore</b> where you have BUY links for all the outlets where your books can be purchased. Make sure the links go directly to the purchase page - you want to be able to accommodate a quick impulse buy. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">This is a Store! It is a Retail Business and here your amazing book covers and blurbs are front and center. In this Bookstore you personally place your fabulous book into readers trembling hands, and you will accept a variety of payment options. It's best to plan this page so the readers can peak inside and read the beginning of your story. At the end of the excerpt, Thank them for reading and include another BUY link for them to purchase the whole book.<br /> <br />Don't make your readers work to find LINKS TO BUY for every Point-Of-Purchase - like the little signs on the doors and by the checkout of your favorite store, or restaurant, listing all the credit cards accepted.</blockquote>For Great Examples of how to organize your books and series see our post on: <a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2013/10/book-page-organization.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">Book Page Organization</span></b></a><br /><br /><b>News &amp; Events: </b>List where you are going to be for book signings, blog tours, contests, conferences, workshops, etc. Include a Calendar of where and when you will be at public events, with ALL the information for someone to find you. This includes if you are participating at a local farmers market or craft fair or any other activity that is open to the public. Always have promotional flyers about your books, even if you are not actively signing or selling. <br /><br />Beyond these basics, published authors have also included:<br /><br /><b>Media Kit:</b> Contains high-resolution images of your book covers and author photos for media use, in a variety of printable downloads and digital files. Also add the links to published articles by or about you, and interviews. <br /><br /><b>Multi-Media Page:</b> Here is where you can post anything that requires time to spool or download like book trailers, video journals, interviews, games, etc. <br /><br /><b>Book Club Info: </b>Reading guides for book clubs complete with questions and themed party suggestions. If you are not a Book Club type author consider a Game room or Playhouse that is interactive and where you can actively engage with your audience.<br /><br /><b>Bibliography / Library: </b>Some authors include this page as an Easy To Print list of their books and series chronologically. <br /><br /><b>For Fans: </b>These pages can be a catch-all for everything from character profiles to world building glossaries. JD Robb includes a <a href="http://www.jdrobb.com/fans/indeath.php">story arch synopsis</a> for the 30+ books in her In Death Series. This page also includes active BUY LINKS!<br /><br /><b>Blog Link</b>: If you maintain a blog, promote it on your website. Pre-published authors should also link to their blogs, if they have one.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Your website is the office-store of your dream career as a Professional Author. You can have a family portrait behind your desk and a few framed diplomas on your walls. Your novels may be paranormal-historical-alien-thrillers but you write your books on equipment available in the 21st century on Mother Earth so make sure your office-store is easy to navigate. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">REMEMBER: This is your virtual office-store that reflects your Professional Author Persona and Books - not the coffee shop or closet where you really work.</blockquote>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-42950324977642851692016-10-07T04:00:00.000-07:002016-10-07T04:00:25.603-07:00Author Media Kits: What the heck do I need?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yiZaBB7ozSY/V9cGM5rFqZI/AAAAAAAABS4/dUi-cdquQPMv_cSY8veEU-TCxQalr_zqgCLcB/s1600/Media%2BKits_iStock_80162577_XLARGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yiZaBB7ozSY/V9cGM5rFqZI/AAAAAAAABS4/dUi-cdquQPMv_cSY8veEU-TCxQalr_zqgCLcB/s400/Media%2BKits_iStock_80162577_XLARGE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><i><u>Morgan says:&nbsp;</u></i></b><br /><br />In past posts we've discussed author websites, how to cultivate your author PERSONA via your website, and what your site needs to contain. In this post, we'll take a moment to do a deep dive into the contents of your author media kit.<br /><br />Now...some folks would argue that this information isn't needed until after you've published your book...and isn't this something your publisher should be handling? *snort*<br /><br />I would argue that developing an author media kit page for your website is a great thing to have, even if you are still pre-published. (In fact, it is something I need to add to my own website.) Having a media kit will be one more indicator that you:<br /><br /><ul><li>take your writing career seriously</li><li>want to work with media outlets (bloggers, news, television, print, etc.)</li><li>are a professional</li><li>want to be 'easy to work with'</li></ul><br /><h3>So...What the heck do I need to include in my media kit?</h3><div>A basic media kit should include:</div><div><ul><li>at least one high resolution author portrait (preferably a professionally produced portrait, not a blurry selfie taken with your smartphone)</li><li>a brief bio (content that would be used at the end of a guest blog post or article)</li><li>a full bio (content that might be used if you were to ever be a keynote speaker)</li><li>high resolution images of your book covers (if published)</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>Some media kits also include:</div></div><div><ul><li>press releases&nbsp;</li><li>book trailers</li><li>links to articles, interviews, and guest blog posts</li><li>upcoming events</li><li>brag sheet (awards won and other honors)</li><li>an 'about me' type interview sheet (your very own question and answer page)</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>If you do a little research, you'll find that many big name authors do not have media kits. Instead they have contact information for their publicist, agent, or other public relations resources. We would all hope to be on this level one day...but in the mean time, here are links to media kits on the websites of two of my favorite successful authors:</div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.kristinamcmorris.com/events-and-media" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Kristina McMorris</span></a><b style="color: black;">&nbsp;- </b>notice that Kristina also include video clips</div><div><b><a href="http://www.jeannielin.com/press-kit/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Jeannie Lin</span></a></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Where should you put this information on my website? </b>You can make a new tab named 'Media Kit' or include this information on a combination 'Events &amp; Media' page. Or you can include your media kit as part of your 'About Me' or 'Contact' page.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Consider adding a media kit to your website.&nbsp;</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>You will make a lasting impression and be perceived as an organized professional.</b></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-51968580600978006372016-09-02T04:00:00.000-07:002016-09-02T04:00:04.286-07:00The Critical Element - Six Years Later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AE5NSWa9SeM/Ui4Xct03BeI/AAAAAAAAAsI/WQXJUUNzNB0Uk2dz-UqLQYn5eA3KkjvjgCPcB/s1600/AM101%2BGRAPHIC%2B-%2BFinal%2Bfrom%2BPDF.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AE5NSWa9SeM/Ui4Xct03BeI/AAAAAAAAAsI/WQXJUUNzNB0Uk2dz-UqLQYn5eA3KkjvjgCPcB/s320/AM101%2BGRAPHIC%2B-%2BFinal%2Bfrom%2BPDF.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />The goal of marketing is to generate sales. Marketing is a process, not an app.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Regardless of all the digital tools and apps that have been developed in the six years since we presented our first workshop, the core pages on this site ARE still exactly what you need to know as the backbone of your marketing strategy. You need to develop a Persona/presence to Push your message and Pull your audience to a Point-Of-Purchase. These are critical elements to marketing before the apps and tweets.<br /><br />In 2012 we made this site interactive by posting three days a week with the following topics: Myth Busting Monday, Workshop Wednesday, Finer Points Friday. It was a lot of fun and let us focus on the extra stuff we stripped out of our core pages to keep our message clean. <br /><br />In 2013 we posted less for two reasons:&nbsp;</div><div><ol><li>The analytics showed a post got more views and shares when it was the main post for a week or more. That means the quality you present in social media is more valuable that quantity.&nbsp;</li><li>A small press wanted us to publish our Guide &amp; Journal so we had to create it.&nbsp;</li></ol>Through 2015 we consolidated those workshops from 2012 and brought them forward in a stronger message and to make them easy to locate. We also shared personal stories from authors regarding their publishing and marketing journeys.<br /><br />This year has been all “Finer Points” of promotion and professionalism as that is the stage we are at today – and we’re having fun! Scroll down the right sidebar of this site to see all the topics we’ve already covered for you and the journey creating your career. <br /><br />Unfortunately, all the myths we covered through these years regarding marketing advice for authors are also still relevant and being promoted to authors. Any promotions/products/promises that have a secret to success flavor with everything in one&nbsp;magic button, is usually a myth. It was the myths that made us mad enough to debunk them and create&nbsp;clear and effective marketing tools for you to generate sales of your books. No magic here, just proven tools and processes.<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">To quote Neal Thompson, director of Author and Publishing Relations at Amazon.com (from <a href="https://www.rwa.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>RWR, vol.36, num.8, August 2016</b></span></a>) “Finding your readers has always been a challenge, long before this empowering new age of indie publishing. That means indie authors (and, honestly, all authors) need to get the most out of every reader-engagement tool that’s available to them.” </blockquote><br />Yep! We totally agree! Then Mr. Thompson states that the CRITICAL ELEMENT TO FINDING READERS (our emphasis) is for authors to concentrate on Writing The Best Book Possible! To which we also agree! The Best Book. The best marketing will not generate sales for a lousy book. <br /><br />September is Back-to-School month in the USA so take this month to click on the<b> Persona, Push, Pull, POP </b>page tabs below our banner (above) and review each of <b><i>The 7 Primary Points To Stand Out From The Crowd </i></b>so you can effectively use all those digital tools and apps to generate sales of your Amazing Book.<br /><br />Remember, the author journey includes continuing to improve your craft. So here's some links to also review:<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot; , &quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2015/05/reflections-on-craft-class-hanging-with.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Reflections on a Craft Class: Hanging with Mary Buckham</span></b></a>&nbsp;-&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot; , &quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt;">Friday, May 22, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot; , &quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt;">Morgan says: Like we've said before and we'll say it again, the best form of marketing is writing a GREAT book! And many of the best authors are perpetual learners. With these thoughts in mind, I followed Gina Fluharty's lead and enrolled in&nbsp;<a href="http://marybuckham.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Mary Buckham's</span></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://marybuckham.com/power-plotting-workshop/"><span style="color: blue;">Power Plotting Workshop</span></a>. This two-day class was a working session based on the book she co-wrote with Dianna Love titled:Break Into Fiction.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2013/11/marketing-childrens-books-its-all-about.html"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Marketing Children's Books - It is All About your Characters</b></span></a>&nbsp;- Nov 15, 2013<br /><br />Children's book authors have character based websites and promotions. Children tend to ask for books based on topics and characters. "I want to read dinosaurs" or "I want to read Angelina Ballerina" have both been uttered by any number of children around the world.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2013/11/marketing-nonfiction-books-persona-topic.html"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Marketing Non-Fiction Books - It's your Persona and Topic</b></span></a>&nbsp;- Nov 8, 2013<br /><br />Our personal opinion is there are loads of wonderful How To books for nonfiction authors to build their author platform, especially if it is a How To or Specific Topic platform. Writer's Digest Books and Magazines are chock full of decades of advice for authors to become known as being an authority on their topic. However: Memoirs are 100% the professional nonfiction writer in a specific and genuine Author Persona With a Topic.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot; , &quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /><b><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2014/08/beware-book-marketing-expert.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Beware the Book Marketing Expert</span></a>&nbsp;</b>- Friday, August 22, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div>One of our primary messages is an author's time is a precious commodity and not to spend it foolishly by jumping on the bandwagon of the latest promotional gimmick or hot blog.Our primary objective is to educate our fellow authors so that it's easier to discern the truth from the hype without wasting your hard earned dollars. Everything about this AM101 blog and our book is focused on how to apply basic marketing principles to design and implement a PLAN that is effective to generate sales of your novel.<i> We focus on novelists because they have unique marketing challenges not addressed until now.</i></div></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-88835043049350979022016-08-05T04:00:00.000-07:002016-08-05T04:00:04.924-07:00Panels Anyone? - Leveraging panels to build buzz and spread knowledgeOk, ok... we know that many authors are introverted and prefer the safe and quiet spaces of your writing hovels to speaking in front of an audience. However, speaking at conferences is one of the best ways to build buzz about your books and author persona. Keep in mind: no one ever said you had to speak in front of an audience ALONE. Try participating in a panel.<br /><br /><h3>There are two types of panels at conferences:</h3><br /><ol><li><b>Author panels</b> tend to be focused on specific genres or market segments. A group of authors come together to talk about what they write and their latest releases in front of an audience. Young adult (YA), erotic romance, mystery, etc. are all examples of a common trait among authors on a panel.</li><li><b>Subject matter expert panels </b>can be composed of authors, industry experts, or a mix of both types of speakers. Writing steampunk, mixed martial arts fighting, FBI procedures, New Orleans traditions, getting published, are all topics that could be covered in a subject matter expert panel. It is the subject that unifies the speakers on the panel.</li></ol><br /><h3>How do I get on an author panel?</h3><br /><ol><li><b>Create a panel</b>: Writing conferences need presenters....otherwise it's just a string of parties. Most conferences put out a call for training presentation and panel proposals about a year before the date of the event. Check out the conference websites for information on how to submit a proposal. BUT FIRST round up a group of authors or subject matter experts who are willing to attend the conference (and pay all of the associated registration / conference fees).</li><li><b>Make it known that you are open to being on a panel</b>: How will people know you are interested in being part of a panel if you don't tell them? Tell your author friends, writing organizations, local clubs, social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) followers, anyone who will listen that you are interested in speaking at conferences in a panel format.</li></ol><h3>Let's rewind to do a slightly deeper dive on creating a panel....</h3><div>We've all been to great panel discussion sessions that have provided wonderful insights into a genre or specific topic. We've all also been to terrible panels where one person 'knew everything' and hogged the microphone postulating about how wonderful they are.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is definitely an art to coordinating a panel. Here are some things to consider:</div><div><ul><li><i><b>The personalities and professionalism of the people you approach are key.</b></i> How will this person react if they disagree with another panelist? Will they be gracious and kind enough to share the stage and pass the microphone? Remember, your audience will be full of readers. You'll want to make sure that you and the panelists make a good impression and NOT spend the entire session bickering.</li><li><b><i>Three to five folks on the panel (including yourself) is plenty. </i></b>Go too much beyond five people and it will be hard to get through the introductions, let alone have a conversation with the audience. Have less than three folks and it will feel more like a <i>Johnny Carson</i> styled interview. The more people you have on the panel, the less time each person will have to speak. Plus, the more people you have on the panel the more cross-marketing and promotions should occur.</li><li><b><i>Prepare your questions for the panel ahead of time.</i></b> As the panel coordinator, you are the one who sets the tone and keeps things moving. Don't rely on the audience to provide all the questions. Prepare some questions before the day of the panel and (even better) share them with the panelists so that they can have their answers at least somewhat ready.</li><li><b><i>Ask the panelists to promote the panel!</i> </b>Everyone involved should be spreading the word about this awesome panel they'll be on at an equally awesome conference. Who knows, you each may find new readers through cross-pollination.&nbsp;</li><li><b><i>Keep things moving!</i></b>&nbsp;There is nothing worse than a boring panel. As the panel coordinator, you also take on the role of moderator. Which means you have to be willing to keep the discussion moving. Often audience members (readers) and some panelists (there's always one) try to take a dive down the rabbit hole and do a deep dive on some random topic that only a tiny portion of the wider audience is interested in hearing. A simple "let's continue this discussion after the panel" will suffice to move on to the next question or topic.</li><li><b><i>Bring your books...</i></b>or at least your latest book. Have your book standing up on the table as a silent 'buy me' beacon. A tabletop plate stand or display easel is a great way to showcase your book and its cover. Remember, many people are visual and they will remember your cover better than your name.</li><li><b><i>Handout business cards and bookmarks</i></b>. Your goal is sell more books...so create a way for people to walk away with some means of finding your books after the panel.</li></ul></div><div>Participating in an author or subject matter expert panel allows you to take the stage and share the spotlight. Yes, you will still need to talk and interact with your audience, but the burden of filling the presentation time won't be a solo effort.</div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-48204208873238549972016-07-01T04:00:00.000-07:002016-07-01T04:00:20.966-07:00Conferences and Conventions - What to do and How to Work Them<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Often at conferences we see many examples of authors behaving badly. So in honor of our conference excursions, here are some Do's, Don'ts, and Be Sure To Go tips for attending conferences:</span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Industry Focused Conferences<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">An industry conference focuses on the business and craft side of the publishing industry. Only aspiring authors, published authors, editors, agents, and other industry professionals are permitted to attend.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">DO put your best foot forward and wear professional attire that is comfortable for long days. It is better to err on the side of being too conservative than show up at an event in clothing that is too casual. You also don't want the distraction of pinched toes, rolled elastic, or scratchy fabrics. Look Good and Feel Good to present your best professional self.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">DON'T sit in a corner or huddle with only people you already know. You are paying money to attend a conference - and publishing professionals are investing their time to meet you and learn about your projects. Try to break out of your shell and network with new people - how else are you going grow your network? If you're an introvert, stand tall beside an extrovert author friend to smile, listen and learn!&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">BE SURE TO GO to the bar...yeah, yeah, twist your arm. All sorts of folks hang out in the hotel bar during conferences. Grab a soda, or beverage of your choice, and take a stroll around the room. Morgan typically wears steampunk jewelry - it's a great conversation starter. Therese has chatted with many agents and editors in the smoking areas but don't hang out there unless you are a smoker and understand the etiquette of that social sphere.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Reader Focused Conference<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">At reader focused conferences you should be fully in your author persona, but still be professional. Many of the folks who attend industry conferences also attend the reader events. Overall, the atmosphere is much more casual. Reader conferences tend to have more of a party atmosphere.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">DO have fun with your author persona. Wear your persona specific attire and engage your audience.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">DO take the time to reach out to bloggers. One author friend made formal appointments with bloggers who specialized in her genre before the conference. She even had little thank you gifts for them.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">DON'T forget that you are still a professional. Do you really want to be remembered as the author who got sloppy drunk and sang "Free Bird" at the top of your lungs? No, no, triple no!<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">BE SURE TO GO to the lobby. If you have to get your word count done for the day, write in the lobby. Yes, it may be hard for you to get your words on the page, but you never know who you are going to meet. Morgan </span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">bumped into two key editors form St. Martin's Press while looking for coffee. And of course, there is always the bar....but, see the DON'T note above. &nbsp;:D<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Overall Essentials:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><br /><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">DO have business cards. (See our posts</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/04/when-youre-ready-for-business-cards.html"><b><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">here</span></b></a>,</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2013/10/when-youre-ready-for-business-cards.html"><b><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">here</span></b></a>, and</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/11/mirror-your-business-cards-and-website.html"><b><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">here</span></b></a></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">on business card content.)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">DO have your pitch ready. And we mean both your pitch for new projects and the answer to the question "So, what do you write?".<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">DO have some books and free reads to give to readers IN YOUR AUDIENCE.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">DON'T canvas or blanket the conference with your fliers and bookmarks...(Canvasing would be exercising the shotgun method.) Many of these items end up in the trash. Be selective on who you give your promotional materials to, know and find your audience. A promo piece handed to me personally by an engaging author will get read</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">. The HUGE pile of promo materials in the conference bag often don't make it to the second day of the conference before hitting the recycling bin - this is because it is information overload. Our primary message here at AM101 is not to spend cash on what goes in the trash!<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">BE SURE TO GO to a variety of events or sessions and HAVE FUN! People will want to approach the person having fun. If you would rather be somewhere else, save your time and money and go there. &lt;harsh, we know...but so true&gt;<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2014/06/how-to-work-conference.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>How To Work A Conference</b></span></a></h2><div><h3>What do we mean when we say "work" a conference?<o:p></o:p></h3><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">There are two kinds of people who go to conferences and conventions:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">1) People who are there to ATTEND the conference (attendees).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">2) People who are there to WORK the conference (workers).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Each of these types of conference / convention goers is there for specific reasons. The attendee's primary objective is to learn and be entertained. The worker's primary objective is to network and make a sale. Both types are there to make<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><i>&nbsp;</i></b></span><b><i>connections</i></b>. It is what they choose to do with these connections that differentiates an attendee from a worker.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div><h3>How do you "work" a conference?<o:p></o:p></h3><div><br /></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">1) Choose your conferences wisely</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">There are loads of conferences and conventions that you can attend throughout the year. There are national, regional, and local shows that cover all aspects of the craft of writing and publishing industry. No matter how much buzz is associated with any given show, take the time to do some research before you sign up. Find out who typically attends. Is an editor from one of your target publishers going to be there? How about your top three agents? Will your favorite author be signing books or speaking on panels? Are there panels or classes that will help you with research or otherwise further your career?</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">&nbsp;</blockquote><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">2) Set Goals</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Now that you've selected the conference(s) you want to attend, set some goals. The first time you go to a conference go primarily as an attendee. Make having fun your primary goal while you discover all the things a given show has to offer. At future shows, maybe set a goal to talk with at least five readers and two bloggers. Or maybe your goal is to pitch your latest manuscript to at least three of your target publishers in attendance.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">3) Leave Room for Serendipity</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It is easy to 'over' schedule your time. Running from panel to panel or meeting to meeting constantly can leave you exhausted. Allow time for sitting, observing, and random conversation. Everyone at the conference is a potential reader, until you know if they are or aren't in your audience. Some of the people attending will become great contacts for your writing career. You never know who you are going to sit next to or bump into.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">4) Be Prepared</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Have your pitch for your latest book practiced and polished. Have a quick answer ready for the question: "So, what do you write?"Mentally prepare yourself for the social interactions at the conference. Be in your author persona. Have your business cards and promotional materials ready to give to business contacts and members of your audience. If you are signing books at a book sale or fair, confirm that your books have been ordered and find out how much table space will be available for your book signing set up.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Attending conferences and conventions can be both fun and rewarding. Take the time to plan and prepare to squeeze every ounce of opportunity out of the experience.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></b></div></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-28675374783257908522016-06-03T04:00:00.000-07:002016-06-03T04:00:10.271-07:00Working with Professional Photographers<u><b><i>Morgan Says:</i></b></u> As those of you who follow this blog know, earlier this year I was quite busy working on promotional activities for my local chapter of <span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.rwa.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Romance Writers of America (RWA)</span></a>&nbsp;</span>-&nbsp;</b></span>&nbsp;Portland, Oregon based <a href="http://rosecityromancewriters.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Rose City Romance Writers (RCRW)</span></b></a>. Work for the February 2016 event began in October 2015.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Once I started working on the project, I quickly realized that as a chapter we were lacking professional pictures that could be used for chapter marketing and promotions. Thanks to our president, <a href="http://ginafluharty.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Gina Fluharty</b></span></a>, we were able to book a professional photo shoot with Mark Montoya of <a href="http://www.mmontoyaphotography.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Montoya Photography</span></b></a><span id="goog_1963486921"></span><span id="goog_1963486922"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>.</div><div><a href="http://www.twigsbistro.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a></div><div><a href="http://www.twigsbistro.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Twigs Bistro (Tigard, OR)</span></b></a> allowed us to use their main dining area, for FREE, provided we mention them in our promotions. We also had to be in and out of there before they opened for lunch. The photo shoot presented some interesting challenges for our photographer:</div><div><ol><li>there were more than ten people in the picture</li><li>we were seated in a large space</li><li>we were wearing different colors and each had different skin tones</li><li>combine #3 with a low light environment and lighting the shot became incredibly difficult</li></ol><div>In the end, Mark Montoya overcame all of these obstacles brilliantly and produced a FABULOUS set of pictures all the participants were able to use.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U_uryj5z6H0/V0N0VMc5mDI/AAAAAAAABR8/izUh0daoRpkgXtwa7mk86L4PDfsqsuYhQCLcB/s1600/Facebook%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U_uryj5z6H0/V0N0VMc5mDI/AAAAAAAABR8/izUh0daoRpkgXtwa7mk86L4PDfsqsuYhQCLcB/s640/Facebook%2BCover.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>During the shoot, it was easy for me to know which of the participants were familiar with a professional photo shoot and which ones were total novices. Don't get me wrong, everything went well....but things could've gone a little smoother with a few minor adjustments by the participants.</div><div><br /></div><div>In light of this experience, here are....</div><h3><br />Tips For Working With Professional Photographers</h3><div><ol><li><b>Be ON TIME</b> - time is most definitely money in this instance. Plus the clock was ticking on our shoot due to the restaurant's need to open on time and finish their preparations / lunch set up. Running late only decreases the amount of time in front of the camera. More time allows for more creativity.</li><li><b>Show up with a CLEAN face or MORE makeup than you normally wea</b>r - makeup is a topic that should be discussed ahead of time with the photographer and / or the shoot coordinator. Some photo shoots include a make up artist and this person should dictate ahead of time what preparations you need completed before you sit in their chair. (For example, some make up artists want you to show up wearing your favorite foundation. Others say they want a clean face / blank slate.) For our session, we had to do our own make up. In this case, wear more than you would normally apply. Everyday makeup / lightly applied make up tends to wash out in pictures. And, yes, this applies to men, too. Don't look like a clown...but do add some color.</li><li><b>Wear clothing that fits your PERSONA</b> - for author portraits, give some thought to how you want to represent yourself and your books! I'm wearing an orange sweater and fun jewelry in the picture below. :D</li><li><b>Pay attention to the photographer and FOLLOW THEIR INSTRUCTIONS</b> - you are at photo shoot not a social hour. Again, time is money, so pay attention to what the photographer needs and asks of you. If she says jump, your response should be 'how high?' - now is not the time to be on your cellphone or cracking jokes. For our photo shoot, Mark gave us each a special little light that we tucked into our books. Some folks got a blue light, others got lights with an orange tint, and some just got a plain white light. When a dear friend gave her light to someone else without first asking the photographer, I asked her to take it back. I know she was just trying to be helpful, but that light was for her by the photographer and may have been all wrong for a different person.</li><li><b>Fully understand the OWNERSHIP and USE of your picture</b> - this aspect of the photo shoot should be agreed upon before picture day. Some photographers retain ownership of the image and dictate how the picture can be used without penalty. Other photographers give you full ownership and free use. Regardless of who pays for the pictures, ownership can still reside with the creator (photographer). Make sure you have an understanding of the image ownership that is clearly stated in writing.</li><li><b>Pick a photographer who produces IMAGES YOU LIKE</b> - check out their work before you book the shoot and pay your money. Make sure that their artistry aligns with your persona, images, and emotions you want to convey.</li><li><b>HAVE FUN!</b> - if you have an idea for a shot, mention it - but also be fully open to the recommendations and directions from the photographer. They are the only ones that can see the image through the lens and you are paying for their skill set. Still have some fun and let your personality shine through.</li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U26S2tTcwdo/V0N1Yx3KJ4I/AAAAAAAABSM/1ZZHOl39KvA7nl9GflPmDHrsieNKwGJPACLcB/s1600/RCRW%2BPosed%2BSmiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U26S2tTcwdo/V0N1Yx3KJ4I/AAAAAAAABSM/1ZZHOl39KvA7nl9GflPmDHrsieNKwGJPACLcB/s400/RCRW%2BPosed%2BSmiling.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-29830770864574051862016-05-06T04:00:00.000-07:002016-05-06T04:00:23.319-07:00Continuity Through Images<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i>Therese Says: &nbsp;</i></b>I've been working on a strategic plan for my Therese Patrick, Author business. I only have one published novel, and this one nonfiction book, but I do have projects that are in the pre-publication stage. This means I plan to have a brand that will become familiar to readers wherever they may find me when I'm promoting future books. It's a looking into the future exercise.&nbsp;</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yIc_YaDgkRM/Vr66MbfjvpI/AAAAAAAABPo/sw_3No5R3JQ/s1600/business%2Bcard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yIc_YaDgkRM/Vr66MbfjvpI/AAAAAAAABPo/sw_3No5R3JQ/s200/business%2Bcard.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>This is my current business card and it has my novel cover on the reverse side, plus a space where I can autograph it. Most of you are probably cringing at the yellow font and how it disappears on the background. I didn’t realize this until the actual cards arrived as the digital version looked great. So I will be redoing my business cards someday and that’s one reason why I’m playing with branding now.<br /><br />The first step is choosing the main image and a tagline that represents the flavor and genre of the stories.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eQ9dW7ha3XA/Vr66VI5DFWI/AAAAAAAABPs/aqNwmrlHp4Y/s1600/Banner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eQ9dW7ha3XA/Vr66VI5DFWI/AAAAAAAABPs/aqNwmrlHp4Y/s320/Banner.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://terripatrick.wordpress.com/books/"><span style="color: blue;"><b>https://terripatrick.wordpress.com/books/</b></span></a></td></tr></tbody></table>Here’s the table sign I have created to hang on a table or wall where I could be meeting readers at book events. It’s the image of a lake taken from an open cockpit bi-wing airplane and has talking points: It’s a Starduster II experimental single engine aircraft, that is Pine Hollow lake in eastern Oregon, those are the Cascade mountains in the background, and I took this picture from the front seat of my husband’s airplane.<br /><br />This is the same lake represented in my not-so-great business card so the continuity of my marketing collateral is still consistent.<br /><br />This image works for me because all of my current stories are set near a large body of water like the Columbia River and though this is an inland lake it can represent a large river or coastal bay. The wind-in-your-hair feeling with dynamic scenery will be present in every book as well whether in aircraft, or on boats or motorcycles, and someday on horseback. <br /><br />My current tagline is Romantic Adventures to Cherish, “contemporary romance novelist” is inferred and the image works for the second word. So why did I pick “to cherish” as the final flavor of the type of stories I present? Because they are light family saga type stories, fast and fun reads that have a feel-good flavor. My intent is that a reader cherish the story and set it on their Keeper Shelf to reread. I’m happy to say that many readers have told me they enjoyed it and are waiting to see stories of some other characters I introduced.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jyvJElqnj2Q/Vr66erLgPtI/AAAAAAAABPw/Y_ozLGlUSp0/s1600/Blop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jyvJElqnj2Q/Vr66erLgPtI/AAAAAAAABPw/Y_ozLGlUSp0/s320/Blop.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://terripatrick.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><b>https://terripatrick.wordpress.com/</b></span></a></td></tr></tbody></table>Okay, now I have my primary image so I put it on my blog, which is still my primary website. With only one novel to promote today it's acceptable to retain my online presence as I've been blogging since 2009 and it is engaging to readers.<br /><br />I’m currently only posting about once a month and you can see the site title is the same as my business cards. This WordPress theme is no longer supported but they can give me a CSS code to change the title to red when I am ready. Long time readers of this blog will probably notice it is different but not be sure what has changed. It has been updated and enhanced, not revamped.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-adY0xgEj0A4/Vr66m0IsvgI/AAAAAAAABP0/o3G2esNLriA/s1600/facebook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-adY0xgEj0A4/Vr66m0IsvgI/AAAAAAAABP0/o3G2esNLriA/s320/facebook.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">I don’t have any plans to change my Facebook cover photo or profile at this time because the flavor does match my primary image of water adventures though kayaks are less wind-in-your hair than an open cockpit airplane. Our Jack Russell terrier is in the kayak cockpit with me on Jackson Lake and those are the Grand Tetons.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bhz_AmO0UWU/Vr66tadKFzI/AAAAAAAABP4/j2YrlKHZ3HU/s1600/Google.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bhz_AmO0UWU/Vr66tadKFzI/AAAAAAAABP4/j2YrlKHZ3HU/s320/Google.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;">My Google+ profile is similar</div><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Did you notice that I am pretty solid with blue? As in the blue half of the AM101 color scheme on this site?<br /><br />Now we come to the primary reason why I'm strategically planning for a future brand. There are a lot of circular links to my original website and a memoir I wrote that is almost ready for prime time publication.<br /><br />It is a family story and does have a similar “to cherish” and fun flavor. There is one vignette that does include boating on a lake and there are other adventures so, for now, I made that very basic site align with my other profiles.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsqPRWI9MPI/Vr661Y4mg7I/AAAAAAAABQA/o6cpzeZmSmI/s1600/memoir.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsqPRWI9MPI/Vr661Y4mg7I/AAAAAAAABQA/o6cpzeZmSmI/s320/memoir.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theresepatrick.com/"><b><span style="color: blue;">http://www.theresepatrick.com/</span></b></a></td></tr></tbody></table>Therese is the name on my birth certificate so I use it for my nonfiction projects.<br /><br />Terri represents my whimsical side who creates astrological charts for my fictional characters.<br /><br />The red color has replaced the yellow because when I was designing my table sign I wanted the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water represented. Also, the red roses on the wheelchair wheel is a graphic created by a friend to represent my parents romance and paintings by my mother.<br /><br />Once I felt my table sign was good, I printed out a copy and showed it to people for their input and approvals. Then I went to a print shop and had it enlarged to 11x17 size. The clarity was good but maybe not for any larger, so I had it laminated and ready for more public events.<br /><br />Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-1160340074640092802016-03-22T14:47:00.000-07:002016-03-23T09:26:59.793-07:00Event Promotions: What I Learned... (A Case Study)<i><b>Morgan Says:</b></i> As Therese mentioned in last month's post, I've been pretty darn busy with promotions, lately. I am officially the VP of Communications for Rose City Romance Writers (RCRW), the Portland chapter of Romance Writers of America. I take this role very seriously. As you all should know by now, I LOVE marketing and at it's most basic level marketing<i> is</i> communications and communications <i>is</i> promotions.<br /><br />In February 2016, RCRW conducted an event named wRomance: a weekend of writing and love. wRomance included two half-day learning sessions Saturday, a cocktail hour reader event Saturday evening, and a Sunday afternoon showing on the documentary<span style="color: blue;"> <b>'<i><a href="http://www.lovebetweenthecovers.com/" target="_blank">Love Between the Covers</a></i>.'</b></span> Sounds simple, right?<br /><br />Wrong.<br /><br /><h3>Here's what made this event a touch more complicated to promote:</h3><br /><ul><li><u><b><i>It took place in February:</i></b></u> which meant that early promotion of the event ran into fall holiday communications. It was hard to get attention for the event in the midst of our audience's holiday preparations. Plus, if we waited too late, then our messaging would be lost among the Valentine's Day promotions.</li><li><b><i><u>We had to court TWO different audiences:</u></i></b> The morning Saturday event was <a href="http://www.geoffsymon.com/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Geoff Symon's '<i>Forensics for Fiction</i>'</span></a> class followed by an afternoon session of<a href="http://www.your-a-game.com/" target="_blank"> <span style="color: blue;">Damon Suede's '<i>Half-Day Brand Plan</i>.</span></a><span style="color: blue;">'</span> Both sessions targeted author / writer attendees. Where as the evening cocktail hour and Sunday movie showing targeted readers / general public. Yes, there was some overlap between the two audiences (writers are readers / general public), BUT there was still a need for two versions of audience specific messaging. {Basically, I had two campaigns to run instead of just one.}</li><li><b><i><u>We decided to branch outside of our usual circles to reach a broader audience:</u></i></b> We reached out to the local arts community. Under the #RespectRomance, we hit social media with content. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-tenino/the-one-thing-this-romanc_b_9211136.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Our VP of Programs, Anne Tenino, scored an editorial article with Huffington Post.</span></a> And I produced sponsored content for <a href="http://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2016/2/1/sponsored-rose" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Portland Monthly's 'On the Town' blog</span></a>. In the end, we now have a database of more than sixty local cultural organizations, libraries, booksellers, and media outlets for future communications, but it was HARD work to build that list.</li></ul><div><br /></div><h3>Here's what I learned:</h3><div><ol><li><b>Start planning your promotions EARLY</b> - this event was in February 2016, but we started planning it in late September 2015. The team at '<i>Love Between the Covers</i>' made my promo life super easy by having a superb media and promotional kit chock full of high resolution images, author quotes, a press releases template, and sample email template. They even sent us post cards with room for personalized event stickers and movie posters for the venue theater. With help from my VP of Programs, we created similar promotional materials (fliers) for the writing day and combined event. Along the way, we realized that we needed some professional photography work for the articles. Planning so far ahead gave us plenty of time to plan a photo shoot. The pictures produced are now the headers for our RCRW's Facebook and Twitter pages. Starting early also allowed us to plan and tweak event specific webpages for the RCRW website.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmbONjvVwbM/VvGxWy06hBI/AAAAAAAABQo/GuhnG4YAZok-sHwkrNgvvGlbeenlFITtQ/s1600/LBTC%2B-%2BSarah%2BWendell.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmbONjvVwbM/VvGxWy06hBI/AAAAAAAABQo/GuhnG4YAZok-sHwkrNgvvGlbeenlFITtQ/s400/LBTC%2B-%2BSarah%2BWendell.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quote Block provided by the '<i>Love Between the Covers</i>' media kit.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dDShmA2hA9c/VvGxShfZQvI/AAAAAAAABQk/-PLQud0uTaUuVXbVEVPIgvy4YD2AcVcgw/s1600/PDX%2BMonthy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dDShmA2hA9c/VvGxShfZQvI/AAAAAAAABQk/-PLQud0uTaUuVXbVEVPIgvy4YD2AcVcgw/s400/PDX%2BMonthy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Professional #RespectRomance Photo Shoot</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></li><li><b>PICTURES garner more clicks than just words on social media</b> - Speaking of pictures, combining pictures with a link garnered wwwaaaaayyyyy more clicks, likes, shares, and reTweets than text alone. I did my own version of A/B testing by posting the same text with and without a picture on both Twitter &amp; Facebook. On both social media outlets, the post with the pictures had more interactions and thus helped us to more easily spread the word about our events.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cpt7GgR7-UE/VvGzmpZQg_I/AAAAAAAABQ0/SeN1V8SoD40vD_JEOLRZNz-a_DCbeOzbA/s1600/Post%2BStats_FB_2016-03-22_140445.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cpt7GgR7-UE/VvGzmpZQg_I/AAAAAAAABQ0/SeN1V8SoD40vD_JEOLRZNz-a_DCbeOzbA/s400/Post%2BStats_FB_2016-03-22_140445.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Facebook Post Stats: this post reached 998 people...not too shabby for a local event!</td></tr></tbody></table></li><li><b>The MAGIC of 'Please Share'</b> - Notice in the picture above the post starts with 'Please Share.' And guess what - people shared!! The posts that included those two simple words were shared far more than the ones that didn't explicitly ask to be reTweeted or shared.</li><li><b>If your audience is on Facebook, creating a FACEBOOK EVENT will work wonders</b> - I created a Facebook Event on both the RCRW Facebook page and my personal Facebook page. Through the event, I invited local friends to the movie showing. As you can see in the image below, by allowing friends to share this event, 290 people were invited. Notice that only 29 people responded...this is normal if not high - a 10% response rate is great. Trust me when I say that more than 29 people came to the event. Many were on this invite and simply didn't respond. Again, normal behavior - which just goes to show you that you can't always trust RSVP counts!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xECRTrRyHqA/VvG2dxaUkEI/AAAAAAAABRA/yMUlsBVBkZcxbQBVancMsVvNH5MVBSNiQ/s1600/FB_%2BEvent_2016-03-22_141657.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xECRTrRyHqA/VvG2dxaUkEI/AAAAAAAABRA/yMUlsBVBkZcxbQBVancMsVvNH5MVBSNiQ/s400/FB_%2BEvent_2016-03-22_141657.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Facebook Event Stats from my personal page invite.</td></tr></tbody></table></li><li><b>Don't be afraid to ASK FOR HELP! </b>- Prior to this event, I'd never worked with Press Releases. My buddy, <a href="http://annetenino.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Anne Tenino</span></a> - VP of Programs, had worked with press releases in her past life as an event coordinator. It was great to have her take the lead on this part of the project and I learned a ton from her along the way! Don't be afraid to ask your friends, family, and readers to help you with event promotions. In fact, getting help is a GREAT way to help spread the word about your event and build buzz. I was incredibly happy to be part of an event committee for this project. We worked as a team on all aspects of this event. The team allowed me to focus on promotions while others worked on the venue, website, and day-of coordination.</li></ol><h3>Was the event a success?</h3></div><div>Yes, it was a resounding success! But let me back up for a minute...during the planning phase, we discussed how we were going to measure success. Initially our thought was to measure only ticket sales for each event.Yes, sales is one way of measuring success...however, we learned that there were several other areas that made this event a resounding success:</div><div><ul><li>We increased visibility for our local chapter, RWA, and the romance industry via our community outreach activities and online media articles / placements - which lead to new members.</li><li>We solidified relationships with our favorite local bookseller and review site owner - which lead to increased good will with both parties.</li><li>We had FUN! Let's just say that when you mix romance authors with readers, a well stocked no-host bar, and a life-sized cardboard cutout of Fabio, all manner of shenanigans ensue! - which strengthened the friendships among chapter members and all the new friends that we made along the way.</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PVMiUr3vxgQ/VvG7V3xnrCI/AAAAAAAABRY/84sxSnndL-Qb2Iu4h7qjQ55jamVKRJEVg/s1600/Me%2BwithFabio2016-03-22_143702.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PVMiUr3vxgQ/VvG7V3xnrCI/AAAAAAAABRY/84sxSnndL-Qb2Iu4h7qjQ55jamVKRJEVg/s400/Me%2BwithFabio2016-03-22_143702.png" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Me folding up Fabio for safe storage.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><h3 style="text-align: center;">Know you audience and start planning early for your events to be successful.</h3></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-40883899308137690282016-02-05T04:00:00.000-08:002016-02-05T06:30:15.626-08:00Welcome to 2016<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="http://rosecityromancewriters.com/events/wromance-weekend/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQAFI77u87Y/VrGYnvqdxVI/AAAAAAAABPA/bQv_jWYk4ic/s400/wRomance%2BWeekend%2BFeb20_21_2016.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br />We have a list of topics to share this year but didn't start in January because Morgan has been spearheading a tight publicity campaign for an event on February 20th, sponsored by our local RWA chapter. If you are a writer and local to the Portland, Oregon area, this is an event to consider attending.<br /><br /><a href="http://rosecityromancewriters.com/events/writers-workshop/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The workshops</span></a> are presented by Geoff Symon (FBI Forensics Investigator) and Damon Suede (Multi-Published Author &amp; Marketing Guru), including an evening <a href="http://rosecityromancewriters.com/events/cocktails-with-readers-and-authors-reception/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Cocktail Reception </span></a>with them and numerous local authors. There will be gifts and prizes and books and snacks and fun! For more information visit:<br /><br /><h4><b><span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://rosecityromancewriters.com/events/wromance-weekend/" target="_blank">Rose City Romance Writers Events</a></u></span></b></h4><div><b><span style="color: #660000;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">A screening of <a href="http://rosecityromancewriters.com/events/love-between-the-covers-showing/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">"Love Between the Covers"</span></b></a> is scheduled for the next day, Sunday February 21st in Hillsboro, OR. &nbsp;The first 100 attendees will receive goody bags and free books!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Morgan has discovered all types of tips and tricks regarding publicity campaigns, which is really at the 501 level for Author Marketing, and why publicists are different from marketers. However, she wants to share what she's learned with our readers but needs to wait until she'd finished doing the work! So watch for that post.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x6Y1cEEjsg0/VrP23wuJ09I/AAAAAAAABPU/bYegusZ-i1M/s1600/PDX_Monthy_RCRW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x6Y1cEEjsg0/VrP23wuJ09I/AAAAAAAABPU/bYegusZ-i1M/s320/PDX_Monthy_RCRW.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>One part of Morgan's community outreach and promotions for this event is in the <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2016/2/1/sponsored-rose?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=OTT+2.4.16&amp;utm_term=On-The-Town" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Portland Monthly Magazine - On The Town section</span></a>.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />At the other end of the Author Marketing spectrum, Therese (me!) has been working on getting my debut novel discovered by romance readers. I was an author sponsor for the Winter Wonderland Contest at <span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="http://www.nightowlreviews.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Night Owl Reviews</span></a>.</b></span>&nbsp;During the six weeks of the contest almost twenty thousand dedicated readers saw my book cover and read the blurb for <a href="https://terripatrick.wordpress.com/books/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Checkmate First Mate</span></a>. This translated into a boost in my sales numbers at Amazon. I also did two local book signings and completed the process to be accepted into the RWA PAN Organization. This means I and my novel were listed in the February issue of the Romance Writers Report.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">As we've stated before, marketing and promotions are separate activities and sometimes there is a flurry of work that happens all at once - and we've been in the flurry. This&nbsp;<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3f2e2e; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B'; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wRomance: a weekend of writing and love&nbsp;</em></strong>will be my first big event as a published author with books and prizes for my readers and I am thrilled!!!<br /><br />Publicity and promotions are a different venue that have a greater chance for success when they incorporate the marketing at the 101 level prior to jumping into the 501 shark tank.</div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-55351152067963682902015-11-20T04:00:00.000-08:002015-11-20T04:00:02.892-08:00We're On Holiday Hiatus!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vSTIO7y_N6o/VfM32PbtV7I/AAAAAAAABOQ/RXpD3kUSIxs/s1600/Happy%2BHolidays_Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vSTIO7y_N6o/VfM32PbtV7I/AAAAAAAABOQ/RXpD3kUSIxs/s1600/Happy%2BHolidays_Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vSTIO7y_N6o/VfM32PbtV7I/AAAAAAAABOQ/RXpD3kUSIxs/s1600/Happy%2BHolidays_Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vSTIO7y_N6o/VfM32PbtV7I/AAAAAAAABOQ/RXpD3kUSIxs/s640/Happy%2BHolidays_Image.jpg" width="590" /></a></div>We'll be back in January with new and fabulous content. In the mean time, check out our <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/p/notable-posts.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Notable Posts Page</span></a>&nbsp;</span>and feel free to explore our recent two-part series with Gerry Walker.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-76798074744108861812015-11-06T04:00:00.000-08:002015-11-06T04:00:05.726-08:00Adventures with Shameless Self-Promotion by Gerry Walker<blockquote class="tr_bq"><b style="font-size: 21.3333339691162px; line-height: 22.8266677856445px;"><i><u>Morgan says:</u></i></b><span style="font-size: 21.3333339691162px; line-height: 22.8266677856445px;">&nbsp;</span>When Gerry Walker launched his second self-pub book, due to the timing (specifically, he was running ahead of schedule) he decided to do a two-stage launch. In this second installment of G's adventures, we'll see how placing himself in a high traffic area at a conference and executing a 'soft launch / pre-launch' helped to broaden the reach (exposure) of his book. Thanks, again, G for sharing your experiences!</blockquote><span style="font-size: 21.3333339691162px; line-height: 22.8266677856445px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 21.3333339691162px; line-height: 22.8266677856445px;"><i style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 22.8267px;"><u><b>Gerry Walker says:</b></u></i></span>&nbsp; <br />The following is merely an account of my marketing experience thus far pertaining to my new novel. The experience has just begun, but here’s what’s happened so far.<br /><br />At the time of this post’s creation, my novel, OOGA BOOGA, had been on the market for nearly two months. This time out the gate, significant (non-)strategies were adopted that had not been utilized during the release of my first novel. Significant Marketing (Non-)strategies.<br /><br />Yes, marketing. For some reason, to me it’s always been a four-letter word, and not one of the fun ones. “I’m an artist, and marketing just seems so slimy,” I would tell myself. But for an unknown, self-pub’d author, not marketing my book and my brand proved to be a big mistake the first time around. It’s actually a wonder my first book even got read. <br /><br />With OOGA BOOGA, I decided to do things a bit differently. First, about three months before publication, I updated my email address with a signature that informs recipients of the novel’s release. I dusted off my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and started posting stuff. Just stuff – it really didn’t matter what. “Stuff” is after all what social media outlets mainly consist of, and somebody’s reading it – and sharing it. So I figured, why not join the party?<br /><br />OOGA BOOGA (notice how many times I’ve already mentioned the title? Call me slimy if ya want…) has a kick-butt cover, so when I received it, I posted it on my blog and all of my outlets. Friends, and people I didn’t even know re-posted it over and over again. And the book hadn’t even reached its final edit phase. This was encouraging. <br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b><i>NOTE:</i></b> let me tell you what I did wrong here. My Facebook account was initially set up to share my posts with “Friends Only”, which meant – unbeknownst to me – that whenever a friend shared something I posted, it would only go to people who were also my friends. The problem was corrected quickly, but dang. Don’t do that.</blockquote><br />Next, I researched book conferences and found a popular one in Atlanta. Only problem was, it was literally occurring the next weekend. I had missed the registration period and therefore hadn’t signed up for it. But did that stop me? Nope. If I could grapple with social media, I could do anything. So I printed up a few hundred postcards with that lovely book cover graphic on them, logged onto Priceline, got myself a cheap plane ticket from NYC to ATL, and flew down to the conference.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tNW8-CGf9PQ/Vh1K9nL0SpI/AAAAAAAABOs/pC0Fp9L-noQ/s1600/G%2Bwith%2BCeelo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tNW8-CGf9PQ/Vh1K9nL0SpI/AAAAAAAABOs/pC0Fp9L-noQ/s320/G%2Bwith%2BCeelo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look who I bumped into...Ceelo Green! <br />Check out what he's holding in his hand!</td></tr></tbody></table>I was careful to be seen, but not to step onto the official conference grounds. Didn’t want to get kicked out. But I guess my faux-hawk and bright slacks stood out, because conference attendees – including many bestselling authors – approached me. All I did was sit in the hotel lobby, smile, and give a postcard to anyone who looked literate. While doing so, I also struck up cool conversations with great people who even posed with me and my postcard (“Instagram, yo!”); people like Walter Mosley, Eric Jerome Dickey, Luther Campbell and Ceelo Green.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b><i>Here’s another thing -</i></b>&nbsp;though my book wouldn’t be available to purchase for another three weeks, I released it FOR FREE on my website. I mean, why not? All I asked is that anyone who downloaded it, tell others about it. Some will and some won’t, but something’s happening, because OOGA BOOGA is selling better than Pretty People Are Highly Flammable did in its first two months.</blockquote><br />I made a lot of contacts and gained many readers at the conference whom I hope will turn into fans. <br /><br />One thing that struck me there, was the power of the book club. Those (mostly) women commanded the whole event, enjoying the attendance of bestselling authors at their own private gatherings, like teas, brunches and dinners. The authors obliged, simply… because they kinda had to. Book Clubbers are like their own mafia-like network. They’re intimately connected to each other across cities, states and countries, and as an author, if you piss off one, you could end up regretting it later. I loved that the actual stars of the event were the consumers. It gave me faith in the system again.<br /><br />When I returned to New York, I reached out to bloggers, asking them to review the novel. Summer is admittedly not the best time to do this, as many of them are not accepting requests, but I will launch another campaign around December and see what happens.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />I’m also trying to come up with a promotion that will bring in more Amazon reviews. Maybe an autographed copy to the next five that come in? <br /><br />That’s where I stand as of today’s writing. Not yet a marketing guru, but definitely a user of common sense and part-time risk taker. If you have hang-ups about marketing your book(s), don’t worry: you’re normal. But I invite you to check out and try out some of the easier techniques described in this post, and see if within 60 days you see increased sales. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>You owe it to yourself – and you deserve it.</b></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vcOEgma9EE/Vd-Tl5fXaUI/AAAAAAAABN4/WK_jXQqp8C0/s1600/G_0013_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vcOEgma9EE/Vd-Tl5fXaUI/AAAAAAAABN4/WK_jXQqp8C0/s200/G_0013_2.jpg" width="152" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 21.3333339691162px; line-height: 22.8266677856445px;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 22.8267px;"><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">Gerry Walker is a Harlem writer. Catch him on Twitter&nbsp;</span><a href="https://twitter.com/GerryWalker" style="line-height: 22.8267px;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">@gerrywalker</span></b></a><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">,&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 22.8267px;">Instagram:&nbsp;</span><a href="https://instagram.com/gerrywalker/" style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 22.8267px;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">gerrywalker</span></b></a><span style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 22.8267px;">, Facebook:&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GerryWalkerAuthor?fref=ts" style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 22.8267px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>facebook.com/GerryWalkerAuthor</b></span></a><span style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 22.8267px;">, and&nbsp;</span><a href="http://gerrywalker.net/" style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 22.8267px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>GerryWalker.net</b></span></a><span style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 22.8267px;">.</span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ASp2XRkpW2o/Vd-Ih_2LhmI/AAAAAAAABNk/3oFjihwxekM/s400/2015-08-27_145840.jpg" width="400" /></div><br />Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-50349782645346745492015-10-23T04:00:00.000-07:002015-10-23T04:00:06.109-07:00Adventures with Self-Publishing by Gerry Walker<div class="MsoNormal"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><i><u>Morgan says:</u></i></b>&nbsp;</span>I am proud to say that Gerry Walker is my best friend. In fact, we've been best buds since the fourth grade! I witnessed his self-pub journey first hand from the sidelines. So when I asked him to share his story and his most recent adventures with launching his second book, he was kind enough to oblige. This post is the first part of a two part series on Gerry's self-publishing journey from creation to launch. Love you G!</blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i><u><b>Gerry Walker says:</b></u></i></span><br /><br />On February 1st, 2011, I self-published my first novel - Pretty People Are Highly Flammable. It was one of the happiest days of my life, filled with gratitude and wild memories of the year leading up to it, transforming it from a screenplay to a novel, writing, editing, more editing –all while working a very demanding full-time job. It was time to celebrate, and I did.<br /><br />Recently, my second self-published novel, OOGA BOOGA, was released. In the years since Pretty People Are Highly Flammable came out, I’ve learned a few things: how to write more efficiently, how to amplify my voice to take advantage of my storytelling uniqueness, and most importantly, how to be fearless. Aside from the creative, however, I also learned some things about self-publishing.<br /><br />My first time out the gate, CreateSpace had recently changed its name from BookSurge and after extensive research, I decided that they were the route for me to take. I was a new writer and therefore knew next to nothing when it came to getting my stuff out to the public on my own. The salespeople and customer service staff at CreateSpace were always ready and willing to take my call, hold my hand and walk me through the entire process, from creating cover art, to obtaining an ISBN, to editing, and beyond. They knew stuff I didn’t. I felt safer. <br /><br />Back then, they also offered what I now consider to be a good self-publishing package. The package that I chose no longer exists. It included two full-color cover art concepts (to which I could contribute), full interior design (with 3 or 4 basic font choices) and 3 rounds of edits. I chose to purchase my own ISBN elsewhere because I preferred to have my own company as the official “publisher” of the book, rather than CreateSpace. I also forwent paying for one of their editor-proofreaders (their option would have cost about $500) in favor of two of my own free-of-charge, grad school English majors. At the time, the ISBN cost me $100 and the package cost around $750. When all was done, after numerous send-backs and updates which were mostly my own fault, the total cost of self-publishing the present edition of PPAHF was $1,100. <br /><br />Of course there have been – and will continue to be – CreateSpace debates regarding whether it is worth letting Amazon gulp up so much of your books’ profits. And in 2011, those debates were just becoming really hot. I was, however, a completely unknown author with very little book publishing business sense, no following, a huge publisher (that shall remain nameless – but that was nonetheless very cool to me) advising me to re-write half of my book in order to make it formulaic enough to sell, an even huger ego screaming back “Hell, no, it’s good enough!” and absolutely no desire to utilize social media (the devil, amen? LOL) to promote my stuff. So in my opinion, Amazon could have the money. I just needed to self-publish, and learn from that experience. Well, I did learn. <br /><br />When the time came to publish OOGA BOOGA this summer, I called CreateSpace back up. But this time, I did a few things differently and ended up with a far superior product and a much higher level of satisfaction with the final result. Much of this admittedly had to do with the aforementioned growth that I had experienced as a novelist. For another example, when working on this title, I joined a writer’s circle. They showed/taught me so much invaluable information. I was very fortunate to find a group of fellow artists who weren’t showing up to hate or cast dark clouds, but rather to help make each other’s writing the best that it could possibly be. Much of their advice I took. Some, I didn’t. But henceforth, I will always join a circle as part of my process.<br /><br />So back to what I did differently on the actual publishing end: this time around, I paid Createspace nothing. Don’t get me wrong: now that the book is selling, they’re getting their money. But I gave them nothing up front. And I am so happy that I didn’t. <br /><br />While randomly surfing the interwebs for writing sites one afternoon, I came across <a href="http://damonza.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Damonza.com</b></span></a>, a company known for their amazing book cover art. I liked what I saw, and decided to pay them to create mine. While researching them, I learned that they also have a package (well, a few of them) that includes interior book design and cover art for both the electronic and paperback version of your book. It did not include any subsequent edits, which are $1 each. The package was about $800, paid half in the beginning and half upon the author’s approval of the final product.<br /><br />I filled out an online questionnaire requesting a book synopsis, and asking how I wanted my cover to look. They suggested that I also mention the artwork of titles whose style I liked. I did. A week later, they emailed me three ideas. I was impressed by how well they had listened. After one more email to them, asking them to “mash up” a couple of their presented options, OOGA BOOGA’s cover was born. I love that cover, I won’t lie.<br /><br />The interior was kinda a different story. It took longer because it really didn’t seem like my rep was listening to me at times. She did not read my full instructions, and I ended up paying a little extra for mistakes that she did not pick up on when I’d requested them fixed during our previous correspondence. Add to this the fact that sometimes I did not receive their emails to me – which delayed progress by as much as a week – and you’ll understand my frustration. <br /><br />Bottom line though: Damonza does good work. It can’t be denied that their craftsmanship totally trumps that of the CreateSpace people of yore. <br /><br />For this novel, I went all-out (“!”) and paid for a professional editor. Since I already had a writer’s circle that I trusted, I chose her proofreading (by-the-word) package, which cost $410. So all in all, OOGA BOOGA cost about $100 more to produce than Pretty People Are Highly Flammable. Keep in mind as well that the former is about 50 pages shorter than the latter, so perhaps it might’ve cost even more had they been equally-sized. I would gladly have paid it.<br /><br />In another four years, there will be even more self-publishing options out there for us all to debate, and that’s exciting. There’s no doubt that, like the music world before it, the literary community is quickly becoming savvy to the power of the self-ing, if only because of the sheer desire of the public for more. More, more, more content. They’re a voracious bunch, those readers. With the quality of writing now on par with that of the big houses, the sky is the limit for all authors who do the research – and the work.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vcOEgma9EE/Vd-Tl5fXaUI/AAAAAAAABN0/EP1qK1IFqBQ/s1600/G_0013_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vcOEgma9EE/Vd-Tl5fXaUI/AAAAAAAABN0/EP1qK1IFqBQ/s200/G_0013_2.jpg" width="153" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Gerry Walker is a Harlem writer. Catch him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/GerryWalker" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">@gerrywalker</span></b></a>, Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/gerrywalker/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">gerrywalker</span></b></a>, Facebook:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GerryWalkerAuthor?fref=ts" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>facebook.com/GerryWalkerAuthor</b></span></a>, and <a href="http://gerrywalker.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>GerryWalker.net</b></span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ASp2XRkpW2o/Vd-Ih_2LhmI/AAAAAAAABNg/W5yFRsb62-U/s1600/2015-08-27_145840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ASp2XRkpW2o/Vd-Ih_2LhmI/AAAAAAAABNg/W5yFRsb62-U/s400/2015-08-27_145840.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-87677932226269620492015-10-09T04:00:00.000-07:002015-10-09T04:00:03.651-07:00PUSH & PULL <h2 style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"></h2><h2 style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/10/field-report-bookstore-display-at.html" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">FieldReport: Bookstore Display at Houston (IAH) Airport</span></a></h2><br /><h2 style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, October 3, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></h2><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Hey y'all!&nbsp; It's Morgan reporting from super rainy and humid Nashville, TN.&nbsp; If you follow my personal blog (</span><a href="http://www.morgansmixtape.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Morgan's Mix Tape</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">), then you know that my marketing day job requires a significant amount of business travel.&nbsp; Yesterday, while traveling from Portland, OR (PDX) to Nashville, TN (BNA), I connected through Houston, TX (IAH).<br /><br />Of course the bookstore on my landing terminal caught my eye.&nbsp; Yup - I'm a sucker for a bookstore!&nbsp; Show me a writer who doesn't love bookstores and I'll show you a freak of nature.&nbsp; Ha!<br /><br />Airport bookstores are strange beasts.&nbsp; Their core audience is the male, business traveler.&nbsp; Their secondary audience is the female, business traveler.&nbsp; A third audience is the traveling family.&nbsp; For this reason, they tend to have a large nonfiction section focused on business best practices and self help.&nbsp; Their fiction selections lean towards best sellers with a focus on thrillers, literary fiction, romance, and some adventure / science fiction.&nbsp; There are also loads of books with military themes and a small kids section.<br /><br />So, imagine my surprise to see so much of the in-store marketing real estate dedicated to the<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><em><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">50 Shades</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>series.&nbsp; Note: This display was one of only two large table layouts in the store.&nbsp; More<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><i>50 Shades<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></i>books were on the shelves. <a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/10/field-report-bookstore-display-at.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>[SEE MORE HERE]</b></span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><br /></div><h2 style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/10/field-report-ride-wave.html" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">FieldReport: Ride the Wave - PULL Marketing</span></a></h2><h2 style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, October 10, 2012</span></h2><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">In May, we published two Finer Points Friday 're-posts' on Intentional Marketing (see our Notable Posts tab for direct links):</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/rooted-marketing-building-marketing.html" target="_blank"></a></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/rooted-marketing-building-marketing.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><em><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Rooted Marketing: Building Marketing Tools into Your Story</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/rooted-marketing-building-marketing.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">by Dineen Miller - Friday, May 11, 2012</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/tips-on-intentional-marketing.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><em><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Tips on Intentional Marketing</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/tips-on-intentional-marketing.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">(Dineen Miller's post with our comments) -Friday, May 18, 2012</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><em><b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Morgan says:</span></b></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">In my many travels across the country and around the world, I am always on the look out for examples of marketing at work....yes, I'm a marketing geek, I know.&nbsp; Last Wednesday I featured pictures from a bookstore at IAH airport in Houston, TX.&nbsp; In that same bookstore, I found an excellent example of intentional marketing at work.&nbsp;<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><br /><br />Notice in the picture below how<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></span><a href="http://www.sylviaday.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Sylvia Day's</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;</span></span><em><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Bared to You</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">is shelved next to<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></span><a href="http://www.eljamesauthor.com/"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">E. L. James</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;</span></span><em><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">50 Shades Series</span></em><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">.&nbsp; Ms. Day's book was originally self-published with a different cover,&nbsp; however when the Penguin Group acquired and reissued<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><em><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bared to You</span></em>, they changed the cover art.&nbsp; Since&nbsp;<em><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bared to</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><em><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">You</span></em>'s story line is similar to&nbsp;the<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><em><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">50 Shades Series</span></em>,&nbsp;why not 'ride the wave' and produce a similar cover?&nbsp; &nbsp;This tactic is one form of 'suggestive selling.'&nbsp; Pictured below is the in-store version of the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" section on Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, or any number of other websites.<br /><br />In this instance, it is the store's merchandising team grouping similar products together&nbsp;in the hopes of boosting overall sales.&nbsp;&nbsp; Having a similar cover subliminally validates (correctly or incorrectly) at first glance that the reader is purchasing more of what they already like, but from a different author.&nbsp; The 'different author' part is expressed through the use of a warm color palette choice (dove gray + gold &amp; black accents), instead of the cool colors (steel gray + midnight blue &amp; white accents) used by the<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><em><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">50 Shades Series</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><i>&nbsp;</i></span>covers. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><b><span style="color: blue;"><span id="goog_1755820076"></span>[SEE MORE HERE!]</span></b></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/12/workshop-6-website-basics-content-for.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Workshop#6: Website Basics - Content for Pre-Pub &amp; Published Authors</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, December 5, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">So, you've been told by any number of folks: "You gotta have a website."&nbsp; But no one has bothered to tell you what your website should contain.&nbsp; In today's workshop we will provide some pointers on basic web content for both pre-published and published authors.&nbsp; (Note: We are providing recommendations.&nbsp; It's your website.&nbsp; You can add or delete content at your discretion.)<br /><br />With regards to web content, we looked at several author websites and paid special attention to their navigation tabs (actual content pages).<br /><br /></span><b><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Basic Web Content for PRE-Published Authors:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Home Page</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">- This page is your landing page and home base for your website.&nbsp; While the other pages can be more static, your home page should always contain the most up-to-date information.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Author Bio / About Me Page</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">: Here is where you provide some background information about your author PERSONA.&nbsp; Content can include: why you write a specific genre, what inspires you, quirky facts, etc.&nbsp; Whatever you put on this page should provide some peek at your voice / writing style.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Contact:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Either as a separate web page / tab on your navigation bar or prominently displayed on your home page, give interested parties a means to contact you.&nbsp; Here is where you put your links to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. in addition to your email address.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Something About Your Books</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">: Give your future readers a peek at what you are writing, BUT don't give away&nbsp;your plot - don't give unscrupulous writers a jump on your potential best seller idea!&nbsp; We also recommend that you do NOT post mock covers of your books....readers always seem to miss the fact that the book isn't published.&nbsp; They will head to the store only to be frustrated when they can't&nbsp;buy your books.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Here are some examples of how pre-published authors have structured their websites:<br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.6333332061768px;">[<a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/12/workshop-6-website-basics-content-for.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>SEE MORE HERE!</b></span></a>]</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />﻿</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-19361123217822515122015-09-25T04:00:00.000-07:002015-09-25T04:00:09.465-07:00Learning From Others & Building Buzz<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/09/field-trip-11-learning-from-others.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Field Trip #11: Learning from Others</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, September 19, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">For this week's field trip, we would like for you to take another trip to your favorite bookstore and do the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 47.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Browse your favorite section and randomly select a book from the shelf<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 47.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Note the author's name, book title, and publisher.&nbsp; Read the back cover copy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 47.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Browse the same section, but this time look for the latest book from one of the top authors in that genre<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 47.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Note the author's name, book title, and publisher.&nbsp; Read the back cover copy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;When you return home (or as soon as you have access to a computer) research the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 11.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How is each author promoting their books online?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Go to each author’s website... is their website showcasing their latest book?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Were you able to find them on social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Is their publisher doing any promotions for the book? If so, what?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Do they have any upcoming blog tours or book signings?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">What are some things you like about their online marketing?&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">What are some things that you didn't like about their online marketing?</span></li></ul><!--[if !supportLists]--><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Often, learning what NOT to do is just as important as following a GREAT example.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/09/field-trip-12-word-of-mouth-buzz.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Field Trip #12: Word of Mouth Buzz</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, September 26, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Morgan says:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">One of my favorite things about my local bookstore is the "staff picks" shelf.&nbsp; In this area of the store, each employee has written a little shelf-hanger card that describes why they selected their choice book for this shelf.<br /><br />Your assignment for this week is to talk with the staff of your favorite bookstore.&nbsp; Specifically, I want you to find one of the people who added a book to the "employee recommended" shelf.&nbsp; If the store you frequent doesn't have a specific area for staff selections, then ask one of the workers if they have a book recommendation.&nbsp; (Most bookstores have staff members who are avid readers.&nbsp; I am sure they will have&nbsp;a favorite book (or</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;<i>books</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">)&nbsp;that you just HAVE to read.)<br /><br />As you engage the bookstore employee, I want you to</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">ask them one simple question</span></u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">:&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;<b>Why do you like this book?</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Is it the setting?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The characters?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The suspense?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The romance?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The author's voice?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">If you want to</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">take your questioning one step further, ask them</span></u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">:&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;<b>What made you pick up this book the first time you read it?</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Did a friend recommend the book to them?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Did they read a review?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maybe they overhead a conversation about it?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Did the cover art work or copy peak their interest?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maybe they heard good things about the author?<o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I'm sure you'll be surprised by a few (or all) of their answers.&nbsp; Take a moment to think about how many people this one person has told about their favorite book(s).<br /><br />How can you use this information to help your career?<br />Are there any marketing efforts for your books that would attract this reader?<br /><br />If they are a member of your target audience, you may even consider giving them a copy of your book as a thank you for their time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/07/word-of-mouth-campaigns-part-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Word of Mouth Campaigns: Part 1</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, July 25, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Happy Wednesday, it's Morgan with a few marketing campaign&nbsp;reflections and thoughts.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><br />I will admit that I am extremely fortunate to have book loving co-workers.&nbsp; We often sip coffee and discuss the latest books we are reading in the hall and at each others desks.&nbsp; Our president is even an avid reader and sometimes joins the discussion.&nbsp; I share the books I collect from various writing conferences.&nbsp; Our agreement is that if they liked one of the books they've borrowed, they have to post a review and / or tell others about the great book they just read.&nbsp; But there are instances where they didn't like or finish a book they borrowed.&nbsp; (Again, not every book is going to be every person's cup of tea.)<br /><br />Word of mouth campaigns are funny things.&nbsp; If the person talking about your book really liked it, positive promotion ensues.&nbsp; If they hated your work, the opposite is true.&nbsp; Malcolm Gladwell in his influential work</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tipping_Point" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">The Tipping Point</span></span></i></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: blue;">&nbsp;</span>explores the elements and factors that can cause a message or product to go viral.&nbsp;</span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;Mavens</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">(the experts) chat with</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;<b>Connectors</b>&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">(the folks with a wide network of contacts in a variety of fields) and</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;<b>Salesmen</b>&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">(those among us who can sell ice in Antarctica).&nbsp; The right message relayed to the right mix of people at the right time can cause the ripple effect needed for a best seller.<br /><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">So how do you influence this process?&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">KNOW and UNDERSTAND your audience.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><br />Over the years, I've gotten a good feel for the different genres and writing styles my co-workers enjoy.&nbsp; For one lady, the 'smut factor' (her words, not mine) must be high (two or more love scenes)&nbsp;for her to enjoy a romance novel.&nbsp; Another lady enjoys YA Steampunk.&nbsp; While yet another swoons over books that incorporate historical adventures.&nbsp; Equipped with this knowledge, I can&nbsp;put my Maven skills to work&nbsp;by&nbsp;pointing each of them towards new and seasoned authors that write what they enjoy reading.&nbsp; And guess what....once they've discovered an&nbsp;author they like, they want to read all the books that author has written!&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><br />Of course they won't like 100% of my recommendations, but my hit rate dramatically improved the more we discussed their likes and dislikes.&nbsp; Needless to say, we are in the early stages of planning a book club.&nbsp; I will be sure to keep you posted on our progress.<br /><br />For this week's field trip, I challenge you to chat with at least three new people you see regularly to find out if they read books often.&nbsp; If their answer is 'yes,' then ask them to tell you about the types of books they like to read.&nbsp; Keep it casual, don't turn the conversation into an inquisition.&nbsp; I'm sure you'll be surprised by the information that book lovers are willing to share.&nbsp; And who knows, you may even find some new readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/08/word-of-mouth-campaigns-part-2.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Word of Mouth Campaigns: Part 2</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, August 1, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">In last Wednesday's post, I introduced some terms that may have been new to you:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maven - a subject matter expert<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Connector - a person with a broad and diverse network of friends, associates, and other contacts<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Salesman - a persuasive person<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />Each person, listed above,&nbsp;plays a role in propagating a word of mouth campaign.&nbsp; Just think of the last time you needed a new product or service.&nbsp; Did you consult with your friends, experts, or store clerk before you made your final buy decision?&nbsp; Have you recently made a purchase based solely on a friend's recommendation?&nbsp; Have you ever avoided a service provider or product based on a negative review?&nbsp; If your answer is 'yes' to any of these question, then you have been affected by 'word of mouth'....sometimes, they are formal campaigns orchestrated by corporations who pay trend setters to use their products.&nbsp; Most often, they are genuine recommendations from people we trust.<br /><br />I would argue that, in today's&nbsp;WiFi connected world,&nbsp;bloggers are a mix of Maven, Connector, and Salesman.&nbsp; Formal review sites, like Goodreads and&nbsp;Consumer Reports, act as a mix of Maven and Connector.<br /><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How does all of this information pertain to your writing career?&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Use your new found knowledge to your advantage.&nbsp; Connect with bloggers online.&nbsp; Write reviews on Amazon. Talk with bloggers and reviewers at writing conferences.&nbsp; Do some research to find out which bloggers will enjoy your style of writing and start to engage them.&nbsp; We all prefer to do business with people we know and trust....bloggers typically enjoy promoting authors they know personally.<br /><br /><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How&nbsp;can you engage bloggers and reviewers?</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Follow them on Twitter or Facebook<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Subscribe to their blogs and leave comments<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Have a drink with them at a conference<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Make an effort to understand their passion for reading and blogging<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />Here are some bloggers I've met and / or follow on Twitter:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Sara M. (</span><a href="http://urbanfantasyreader.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">urbanfantasyreader.blogspot.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Sarah Wendell (</span><a href="http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">smartbitchestrashybooks.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Book Lovers Inc. (</span><a href="http://bookloversinc.com/"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">bookloversinc.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />Questions for this week:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Which bloggers do you follow?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Do you interact with them via Twitter, Facebook, or other social media?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How do you select the bloggers you follow?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />I challenge you to find at least one blogger who covers the types of books you write.&nbsp; Connect with them through their blog, Twitter, or Facebook.&nbsp; Find out how they select the books they review.&nbsp; You just might learn something new and start to generate some buzz for your books and your PERSONA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-3863249756146373792015-09-11T04:00:00.000-07:002015-09-11T04:00:03.317-07:00A Keen Eye & Fresh Perspective<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Georgia&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/08/field-trip-9-signs-one-glance-should.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Field Trip #9 : Signs - One Glance Should Say It All</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, August 29, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">It occurred to me (Morgan) this morning, that our last few posts have had a consistent theme of messaging with a heavy focus on the point-of-purchase (POP) arm of marketing. &nbsp;When most people think of POP, they generally tend to focus on displays and signs...this line of thought made me think:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">What are the components of a well designed sign?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;The reverse question also occurred to me: What constitutes a 'bad' sign design? &nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">A well designed POP sign should communicate its core message in one glance.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">People new to marketing and sign design often try to cram in too much information. &nbsp;Just think what the state of traffic would be, if the street signs contained too many details? &nbsp;Drivers would be too distracted deciphering street signs to avoid car crashes! &nbsp;When on the highway, how&nbsp;do you&nbsp;know where the fast food chains are for each exit? &nbsp;Their logos, distance, and two words: "Next Exit" make it clear, in one glance, where you can get burgers versus tacos.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Examine the poster below. &nbsp;Is it clear what type of story you would get if you bought<a href="http://www.delilahmarvelle.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"> Ms. Marvelle's book?</span></a>&lt;Steamy!&gt;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div align="center"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background: white; border: solid #EAEAEA 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid #EAEAEA .75pt; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="border: none; padding: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4X1m4m4Usc/UDwm-x2DKsI/AAAAAAAAALg/5b8KOOBLFhw/s1600/IMG_5030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4X1m4m4Usc/UDwm-x2DKsI/AAAAAAAAALg/5b8KOOBLFhw/s320/IMG_5030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="border: none; padding: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #031d5b; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">In store sign at <a href="http://www.janspaperbacks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Jan's Paperbacks</span></a>. &nbsp;See last Wednesday's Field Report for details.<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">For this week's field trip, we would like for you to take extra note of the signs you encounter in your everyday life.</span></b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Which ones are easy to comprehend / digest in one glance?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">For the signs that contain more detailed information, which ones actually make you stop to read them? &nbsp;Which ones do you just pass by without reading? &nbsp;Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How can you apply what you learned to your POP signs?</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Put your POP signs to work. &nbsp;Communicate in one glance.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Georgia&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/09/field-trip-10-fresh-perspective.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Field Trip #10: A Fresh Perspective</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, September 12, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><span style="background: #FAF1D7;">This week, I would like for you to take a moment to think about three popular brands:</span><br /><br /><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.officemax.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Office Max</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.staples.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Staples</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.officedepot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Office Depot</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">What thoughts and images immediately come to mind? &nbsp;Maybe your mind jumped to the toner or ink you need for your printer, plain tiled floors and fully stocked shelves, or helpful staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Take a look at their websites via the links provided. &nbsp;Pretty standard stuff, here. &nbsp;Exactly what you would expect from an office supply website: extensive navigation bars, a large promo ad of some sort, and sales or discounts highlighted.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Now, I would like for you to venture over to a new site I discovered:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><a href="http://www.poppin.com/"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Poppin.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Poppin. also sells office supplies, but what's different?</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><b>They took a fresh perspective on how to design and market their office supplies!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I just love to be surprised and refreshed. &nbsp;And how refreshing it is to find a company that has taken something so mundane as 'office supply shopping' and raised it to a new level. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Did you notice that you can shop for goods based on color?</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><i>&lt;for some reason this fact makes me giggle like a school girl.&gt;</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Note: Businesses have brands and cultures. &nbsp;Nonfiction authors, nonprofit organizations, and politicians have platforms. &nbsp;Fiction authors have genres and PERSONAS. &nbsp;Keeping this in mind, note how Poppin.'s "work happy" culture is present in all corners of their web presence. &nbsp;(Check out their 'Meet Poppin', 'We Give Back', and 'Fun Stuff' links at the bottom of their web page.)<br /><br /><u>Your assignment for this week:</u><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Take a look at your website with a fresh perspective<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How can you incorporate your PERSONA into all corners of your marketing?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Through your writing, are you taking a fresh perspective on an established genre? &nbsp;Is this new spin adequately represented on your website and in your promotional materials?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Don't be afraid to try something new and let your PERSONA shine through.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/09/workshop-5-how-color-affects-purchases.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Workshop#5 :How Color Affects Purchases</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, September 5, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Morgan here with another Wednesday workshop. &nbsp;It is a scientifically proven fact that color has an affect on mood, hunger, and purchasing habits.....yup, purchasing habits. &nbsp;I found this great post via a link Therese recently shot my way. &nbsp;I tried to&nbsp;embed the post graphic, but the resolution is a little fuzzy. &nbsp;If you are unable to read it here, check out this direct link to the</span><a href="http://dailyinfographic.com/how-color-affects-our-purchases-infographic" style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #7b7b7b; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">&nbsp;</span></a><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://dailyinfographic.com/how-color-affects-our-purchases-infographic" target="_blank"><span style="color: #7b7b7b; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">infographic from Daily Infographic</span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span></span></i></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><i>&nbsp;</i></span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I challenge you to try to think of ways to integrate the information below into your PERSONA &amp; POP designs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Hopefully, you can now understand why I love, love, love marketing! &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><b></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It's so fascinating! &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b></b><br /><b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></b></div><b></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-szp4CP09n7A/UD_QQAE6PfI/AAAAAAAAAL8/baIqU5AOxW0/s1600/color-infographic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-szp4CP09n7A/UD_QQAE6PfI/AAAAAAAAAL8/baIqU5AOxW0/s1600/color-infographic.png" /></a></b></div><b></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></b></div><b></b>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-8540771884584472582015-08-28T04:00:00.000-07:002015-08-28T04:00:07.408-07:00Attracting Readers Part 2<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/08/field-trip-7-making-emotional.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">FieldTrip #7: Making Emotional Connections</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, August 8, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Take a moment to think of the last time you watched a CSI, true crime, or some other crime investigation television show. &nbsp;Did you note how many commercials for insurance policies and home security systems are aired during these shows? &nbsp;Aaaahhhh - those sneaky marketing monkeys are at it again - playing on our emotions!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />This week's field trip can be conducted in the comfort of your own home. &nbsp;In this &nbsp;assignment, we would like for you to watch television. &nbsp;No mindless TV watching here, though... specifically, we want you to pay close attention to the commercials.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><br />You will need a pen and paper to do the following:<br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">While watching your favorite TV show, note the brands and types of products promoted in each commercial (cereals, cosmetics, restaurants, services, etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">At the conclusion of each commercial, quickly record any emotions or thoughts you may have felt while watching the advertisement (were you happy, sad, amused, scared?)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">When your program resumes, note the most memorable commercial and specifically what made that ad pop into your head first<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">It is important that you conduct this exercise during your "favorite" TV show, because commercials aired during this show are targeting YOU demographically. &nbsp;At the conclusion of the show, think about ALL the commercials aired during your show. &nbsp;Do you see any over arching trends or similarities with regards to the types of commercials aired? Take a stab at producing a demographic profile for your favorite show based solely on the commercials shown? &nbsp;(Age, hobbies, lifestyle, income, etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Now, think about your books. &nbsp;Try to find ways to use the emotions expressed in your stories in your marketing pieces. &nbsp;For example, if your stories focus on 'hearth and home' are you using these images in your marketing collateral? &nbsp;If you book includes a thrilling chase or fight scene, think about invoking the same emotional energy in a book trailer. &nbsp;If you write edgy, contemporary works, is your website 'edgy'?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Are you making emotional connections to your readers in your marketing? &nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><h2 style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"></h2><h3 style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 9.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/08/field-trip-8-attention-grabbers.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Field Trip#8 : Attention Grabbers</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h3><div><h2 style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, August 15, 2012</span></h2></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/08/blending-genres-and-attracting-readers.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Paty Jager's guest post (03 August, 2012) onBlending Genres and Attracting Readers was a HUGE hit!</span></a>&nbsp; Many thanks to Paty for being so engaging with her comments!&nbsp; And many thanks to you, dear reader, for your comments, too!<br /><br />The first part of Paty's post, detailing how she set up her table for book signings, made us think about point-of-purchase (POP) displays.<br /><br />In this week's field trip, we want you to observe and examine POP displays in a retail setting.&nbsp;<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><strong><u><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Visit your favorite clothing store and:</span></u></strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">start with the outside of the store and / or the store window displays -&nbsp;what caught your eye first?&nbsp;What&nbsp;items (signs, mannequins, props) are being used to draw you into the store?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Notice the 'flow' of the outside / window display - how did your eyes take in the information being presented?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">once you are inside the store, note the "in store" displays (merchandising) - how are they positioned in the store?&nbsp; What messages are being conveyed? (back to school, fall is coming, etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">note the colors, images, and textures used to draw you 'in' to entice you to buy products<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">When you are&nbsp;doing a&nbsp;book signing:</span></u></strong><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">think about how you can integrate what you've observed into your displays<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">how will you use your PERSONA to convey the content of your books?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Also...</span></u></strong><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">how can you integrate some of these techniques into your website (online store)?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><br /><h4 align="center" style="background: #FAF1D7; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">Find ways to GRAB your reader's attention, ENGAGE them, and watch your sales bloom!<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></h4><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2013/02/workshop-8-blog-tours-pick-blogs-to.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Workshop #8: Blog Tours -Pick Blogs to PULL Your Readers</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Friday, February 8, 2013</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">So, you finished your book and sold it - hooray!&nbsp; With your release date in hand, you decide to do a blog tour as part of your marketing activities.&nbsp; Still smiling with the afterglow of a sale, you pause and think, "How in the heck do I do a blog tour?"<br /><br />In keeping with this month's theme of PULL marketing, today's workshop will focus on tips for designing a blog tour.<br /><br /><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Tip #1: Know your readers. &nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Who are your readers? &nbsp;Are they kite surfers, swimmers, and other water sports fanatics? &nbsp;Do they quilt and / or knit? &nbsp;Are they businessmen with an interest in international travel and thrilling adventures? &nbsp;How old are they? &nbsp;Where do they live? &nbsp;Why would they buy your book? &nbsp;Remember, you are trying to SELL your books by PULLing readers to your content.&nbsp; Understand your target audience (readers) and then seek them out in their natural habit - which brings us to....<br /><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Tip #2: Seek out blogs that cater to your readers. &nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The common misconception about blog tours is that you have to hit as many blogs as you can in a relatively short period of time. &nbsp;This notion is only partially true. &nbsp;Yes, you want to connect with a variety of bloggers, BUT the blogs you choose should be blogs that attract YOUR readers. &nbsp;It really is a quality over quantity decision. &nbsp;One of our dear friends found herself posting on an erotica focused blog and she doesn't write erotica - in fact, she writes 'closed door', sweet romances - almost the exact opposite of erotica! &nbsp;Yes, erotica readers read MORE than just erotica...but when you have precious little time, focusing your efforts by getting the most 'bang for your buck' &lt;pun intended&gt; is the best use of your time. :D<br /><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Tip #3: Spread the love.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">You don't have to hit 20 blogs in one week, marketing is a marathon - not a sprint, sprinkle your blog posts out over time - some before, some on the release day, and plenty after release. &nbsp;In short: 1) Tell them (your readers) your book is coming, 2) Tell them your book is HERE (with buy links), 3) Remind them your book is released.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Tip #4: Manage your time well - don't overextend yourself.&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Question:</span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How many blogs constitute a blog tour? &nbsp;Answer: What does your schedule permit?&nbsp; Consider designing a blog tour that spans six months or an entire year. &nbsp;It can be done, if you hit one or two blogs a month. &nbsp;Have prepared posts written ahead of time to balance your blog tour demands with the time you spend writing your NEXT book.<br /><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Tip #5: Use your network.&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Talk with your writing friends to see which blogs they've toured. &nbsp;What were their results? &nbsp;Which bloggers are easy to work with? &nbsp;Were they clear as to the content they wanted? &nbsp;Were they able to tell you when your content would post? &nbsp;Take heed of your network's advice, especially if they write similar books.<br /><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Tip #6: Visit the blogs,&nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">prior to dedicating your time and energy. Review how they present authors with introductions, pictures of them and their books, links to their website. Pull Marketing is the package and presentation of your book, while your persona engages your readers. &nbsp;Is your persona and voice compatible with the blogger's voice and content? &nbsp;Bloggers have an audience to attract and maintain, too. &nbsp;Do you really want to be the author who submitted bawdy humor to a conservative, Christian blogger?<br /><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Tip #7: Pay it forward</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">- Thank each blogger, touch base with them at conferences, send them chocolates, reTweet their posts, etc. &nbsp;If you are nice and professional they will continue to promote you even after your blog tour is done - and you may be able to come back when your next book comes out. &nbsp;Remember you are working with people who are passionate enough to blog. &nbsp;People promote the people they like. &nbsp;Nurture this relationship, as you would nurture any customer relationship. &nbsp;In the end they are readers who buy books, too, and they have a ton of sway with<i>their</i></span><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">readers (who are also</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">your potential</span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">readers).<br /><br /><b>If you are a pre-published author</b>, start scoping out blogs for your future blog tour, now! &nbsp;Follow them. &nbsp;Load up your Google Reader with a variety of blogs - not just book blogs. &nbsp;Chat with the bloggers at conferences, buy them a drink.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Start building your blogger network, today.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-89481014080032262282015-08-14T04:00:00.000-07:002015-08-31T14:41:17.576-07:00Attracting Readers Part 1<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Georgia&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/field-trip-5-working-system.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Field Trip #5: Working the System</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, May 23, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">We are bombarded with well planned and orchestrated marketing campaigns daily. &nbsp;Everything from the ads that we see to a store's floor plan is designed to entice us to buy more products. &nbsp;If large corporations had their way, we would receive marketing messages twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. &nbsp;To be honest, they are coming pretty darn close to that goal.</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">What is an author to do? &nbsp;</span></b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Work the system....</span></b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><br />This week, we want you to go back to your favorite bookstore.<br /><br /><b>If you are pre-published:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Examine how the books are shelved. &nbsp;Maybe you'll decide to pick the pen name "A. Aardvark" to ensure that your books are alphabetically first on the shelf.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">Talk with the store manager to find out when the new books arrive.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">How do they decide which books are 'faced out' and which ones are placed on end caps? &nbsp;(If it's a small bookstore, there's a good chance that the store displays (merchandising) are determined by the local staff. &nbsp;If it is a national chain, they may receive specific display set up instructions or kits.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">If you are published:</span></b><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Chat with the store manager and try to find out the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How do they set up / schedule in store book signings?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How far ahead of time do they design their seasonal displays? (Maybe you have a book that takes place during Christmas or would work well for Halloween or Easter.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">For a regionally based or local store, find out who the buyer is for the types of books you write.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">If your books are already for sale in the store, ask the manager if you can sign their stock copies. &nbsp;(Autographed books can't be returned to the publisher....)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">If you do sign the books, be sure to have stickers for the front cover that say "Autographed Copy" - you'd be surprised by how many people prefer to buy signed copies!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">While you've got the book open, shove in a book mark, trading card, or other promotional piece to drive traffic to your website.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Learn the rules of the game, then WORK THEM to your advantage!</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"></h2><h2 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/06/field-trip-6-cyber-safari.html" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Field Trip #6: CyberSafari</span></a></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><h2 style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, June 20, 2012</span></h2><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">As with any profession, a quick way to gain new skills&nbsp;is to study successful practitioners.</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><br /><span style="background: #FAF1D7;">In this week's field trip assignment, we would like you to take a "Cyber Safari" and examine the websites of a few successful authors.&nbsp; Specifically, we would like for you to examine the three sites listed below:</span><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.charlaineharris.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Charlaine Harris</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.jkrowling.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">J.K. Rowling</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.alterkate.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Kady Cross</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><strong><u><span style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Questions:</span></u></strong><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">What do these sites have in common?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">What are some ways each author is connecting with their readers?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">What types of things are included in each site's content?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">How are they allowing the reader to further experience the world created in their books?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); font-size: 11.5pt;">In this week's Finer Points Friday post, we will include some answers to the questions above and point out some highlights on each website.</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><br /><em><b><span style="background: #FAF1D7; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Please note:</span></b></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: #FAF1D7;">&nbsp;</span></span><span style="background: #FAF1D7;">By no means are we suggesting that any website is absolutely perfect or that you have to spend tons of money to have a great web presence.&nbsp; What we are merely trying to illustrate is that there are a wide variety of things you can include in your web content.&nbsp; Remember, your ultimate goal is to keep your readers coming back for more and....to SELL MORE BOOKS!</span><br /><br /><b><i><span style="background: #FAF1D7;">Therese Says:&nbsp;</span></i></b><span style="background: #FAF1D7;">I'll also add links to this "Cyber Safari" because all these authors, linked above and below, and their books are very different from each other in the type of stories, the target audience, and the author experience they present online.&nbsp;</span><span style="background: white;">&nbsp;</span><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.janeporter.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Jane Porter</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.elizabethboyle.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Elizabeth Boyle</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FAF1D7; line-height: 16.15pt; margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none;">Trish and Rob MacGregor</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Feel free to examine other author sites and ....happy hunting!&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/06/workshop-3-free-read-booklet.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Workshop #3:Free Read Booklet</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, June 27, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Like most avid readers, I'm sure you've lost count of how many books you purchased and never finished reading. &nbsp;Often the author's writing style or subject matter just didn't click with your reading preference. It doesn't mean that the book wasn't well written, it just means that book wasn't your cup of tea.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">From the author's perspective, a book was sold. &nbsp;BUT, if the reader doesn't connect with your work, you won't have a repeat customer or a raving fan. &nbsp;The reality is that it is impossible to connect with every reader on the planet, however by better defining your target audience you will increase your chances of finding your readership (customers).&nbsp; One tool to help find your readership is a Free Read Booklet.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Free Read Booklets are a great way to:</span></i></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">widely promote your book before it is published (to build buzz and interest)</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">allow your readers to 'try before they buy'</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">provide a signed and personalized memento for readers</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/06/workshop-3-free-read-booklet.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>[READ MORE]</b></span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/07/workshop-4-create-eye-catching-brochures.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Workshop#4: Create Eye Catching Brochures</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, July 18, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">So far, we've covered business cards, bookmarks, and free read booklet designs and best practices.&nbsp; Here is an example of another way you can promote your work:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Eye Catching Brochures and Pamphlets</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.christinemckay.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Christine McKay's</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">promotional booklet takes the term "bodice ripper" to a whole new level!&nbsp; For this brochure, Ms. McKay combined a dark coral colored, cardstock paper with a corset graphic.&nbsp; She then used a hole punch and black ribbon to tie the brochure closed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/07/workshop-4-create-eye-catching-brochures.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>[READ MORE]</b></span></a></span></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-88867487210272451652015-07-31T04:00:00.000-07:002015-07-31T04:00:10.065-07:00Product Families, Placement, & World Building<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><i>Therese Says:</i></b> These two Field Trips are short and included in entirety. However, Morgan's World Building Workshop is a must see so be sure to click the link on the title or <b><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/06/workshop-2-world-building-journal.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">TO SEE MORE</span></a></b> link.</blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/field-trip-topic-3-product-families.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Field Trip Topic #3: Product Families</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, May 9, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">What’s your favorite breakfast cereal? Hot or cold, there are a plethora of products to choose from on the grocery store shelf.&nbsp; Brightly colored boxes from various brands and manufacturer’s tout the nutritional value and healthy benefits of these products.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">If you haven’t guessed, this week’s field trip takes you to the cereal aisle of your local grocery store or corner food market.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Here are the questions I would like for you to consider:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Note the different kinds of Chex, Cheerios, and Quaker Oatmeal that are on the shelf…</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 11.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How are the different kinds of Chex (or Cheerios, or Quaker Oatmeal) tied together as a family?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 11.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">What do the boxes have in common?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 11.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">What’s different?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 11.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How are the different families of products grouped together on the shelves?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 11.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Are all the Chex (or Cheerios or Quaker Oatmeal) group together or spread out?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt 11.25pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Where are the children’s cereals placed relative to the adult cereals?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">If you are self-publishing a series of books, are you using common visual cues and layouts for the series covers?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">If you are traditionally published, how did your publisher connect your series of books together for readers?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">For Everyone:&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How are you marketing your series of books?&nbsp; Do your pieces show them as a “family” of products?</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">If your audience has to read your books in a specific order, is the correct order clearly stated or illustrated in your marketing campaign?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/field-trip-4-product-fit-and-placement.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">FieldTrip #4: Product Fit and Placement</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, May 16, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Ok, so your latest work-in-progress (WIP) features a new spin on an old fairy tale, danger, adventure, and all manner of mayhem. &nbsp;It is completely different from anything you have ever written before and you really aren't sure of where it is going, let alone how to market it.<br /><br />Today's field trip takes you to your favorite bookstore.<br /><br />With an eye for marketing, I want you to take note of the following things:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How is the bookstore organized?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Where are the YA books placed in the store relative to the adult fiction? Inspirational? Home decor?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How are the latest books positioned in the store?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Which books are placed at eye level versus being placed lower on the shelf?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">How are the end caps structured? &nbsp;(End caps are the displays at the end of each row.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-indent: 0in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">What other non-book products are placed on the book displays? (These are the 'pull through' products.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Where will you books be placed on the shelf? &nbsp;Now that you are aware of your product placement, how can you use this information to design a better marketing campaign?</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/06/workshop-2-world-building-journal.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Workshop#2: World Building Journal</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, June 13, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Morgan, here, with another workshop to get your creative juices flowing.&nbsp; One of the things I love about writing, is world building.&nbsp; Some authors use giant poster boards to collect images, scraps, and pictures for inspiration.&nbsp; Since my day job requires tons of travel, I decided to combine my love of scrapbooking and collage to create a portable world building journal.<br /><o:p></o:p></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><i>Morgan says:</i></span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">My latest WIP is a steampunk novel. &nbsp;I plotted the story and started writing. &nbsp;After consulting with some of my dear writing friends, I came to the conclusion that my story would fit well in YA. &nbsp;This decision on product placement will help me formulate my marketing strategy. &nbsp;Since writing steampunk YA is such a HUGE departure from anything I've written before, I've decided to take a new pen name for this project. &nbsp;My product placement decision will have a ripple effect on other aspects of my writing career. &nbsp;Note: &nbsp;I started by plotting and planning a story that really got my blood pumping, &nbsp;THEN I investigated where it would fit with regards to audience and genre. &nbsp;Always start with a story you LOVE and everything else will eventually fall into place. &nbsp;</span><b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/06/workshop-2-world-building-journal.html">[ <span style="color: blue;">TO SEE MORE o</span></a><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/06/workshop-2-world-building-journal.html"><span style="color: blue;">f"My Steampunk World" journal</span> ]</a></span></b></blockquote>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-65845719278494456832015-07-17T04:00:00.000-07:002015-07-17T04:00:07.109-07:00Going Back to the Basics....<div class="MsoNormal">In June of 2012, we began actively posting tips and articles to this site. It was a simple and sustainable plan and held true to our core AM101 message. On Monday our topic was busting Marketing Myths, Wednesday was tips and tricks, and Friday was for finer points.&nbsp; </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">By June of 2013 we had posted so much great information we agreed to create our book that encapsulated our seven primary points into an easy to use guide. This meant we could offer more guest posts, and multiple articles, by industry experts. Then we realized that while We Were Having Fun Helping Our Author Friends – and having even More FUN on our own journeys as novelists – this site had become information overload.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><blockquote class="tr_bq">The next few months we will make it easy for our readers, especially the new ones, to mine our site with links to those initial Field Trips and Workshops.</blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin: 9pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/04/field-trip-topic-1-continuity-study.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Field Trip Topic #1: Continuity Study</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Wednesday, April 25, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">We are big believers in learning from the best, especially with regards to successful marketing.&nbsp;For this reason, we will often use retail chains and brands as examples to hit home key marketing principles.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">So, here is your first marketing field trip assignment....</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: #faf1d7; font-size: 11.5pt;">Pick up your favorite fashion magazine and select one of the cosmetics ads. Go to the cosmetics&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: #faf1d7; font-size: 15px;">aisle</span><span style="background-color: #faf1d7; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;at your local&nbsp;drugstore. (Take the ad with you, of course.)&nbsp; Find the brand of cosmetics in the ad in the store.</span><span style="color: blue;"><b> <a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/04/field-trip-topic-1-continuity-study.html"><span style="color: blue;">[READ MORE]</span></a></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/field-trip-topic-2-target-audience.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">FieldTrip Topic #2: Target Audience</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp;</span><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">&nbsp;</span></b><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, May 2, 2012</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Would you put a guy all decked out in hunting camouflage gear on the cover of a fashion magazine?&nbsp; Your answer would probably be a resounding “No”, unless camo is the hottest trend from Versace!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">This week, your assignment is to venture to your local mall…we know, we are REALLY twisting your arm on this one….&nbsp; Specifically, we want you to visit Macy’s, Dillards, or some other large retailer with a huge perfume department.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.6333332061768px;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/field-trip-topic-2-target-audience.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>[READ MORE]</b></span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/workshop-1-bookmark-design-best.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Workshop#1: Bookmark Design Best Practices</span></a></span></b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="uds-search-results"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215); margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Wednesday, May 30, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">So far, we've provided you with a series of field trips to help you discover and explore marketing in your everyday world.&nbsp; It occurred to us that we haven't given you any workshops!<br /><br />Today's workshop will focus on bookmark design.&nbsp; Why are bookmarks still relevant in the ever growing world of e-readers?&nbsp; Well, when used properly, they are a handy promotional tool.&nbsp; They also provide a means for an author to give a signature to a fan who may only read books on an e-reader.<a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/05/workshop-1-bookmark-design-best.html" target="_blank"> <span style="color: blue;"><b>[READ MORE]</b></span></a><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;Georgia&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2013/03/workshop-9-creating-newsletter.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Workshop # 9 - Creating a Newsletter</span></a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Friday, March 15, 2013</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">We touched on the topic of newsletters&nbsp;at the end of&nbsp;our Friday, 01 March 2013 post:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2013/03/push-marketing-make-it-seamless.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Push Marketing - Make it Seamless</span></a></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">.&nbsp; As much as we all love to talk about social media and blogs, there are some readers who still get a warm fuzzy from a newsletter popping into their email inbox.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Collecting a list of reader email addresses and sending them the occassional note or newsletter is a tried and true PUSH marketing method.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Never created a newsletter? No worries, here's one method to create your own...</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.6333332061768px;">&nbsp;<a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2013/03/workshop-9-creating-newsletter.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>[READ MORE]</b></span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(250, 241, 215);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-9876603557484299272015-07-03T04:00:00.000-07:002015-07-03T04:00:03.135-07:00Using Quote / Excerpt Boxes by Christy Carlyle<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Morgan &amp; Therese say:</u>&nbsp;Here at Author Marketing 101 we are all about recycling and reusing your work in a variety of ways to market your books. (We are Oregonians, after all. Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse are in our blood. Ha!) Our favorite Graphics Guru - <a href="http://www.christycarlyle.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Christy Carlyle</span></b></a> - is back with her second post on how to reuse your cover art and design elements in quote boxes to build buzz and promote sales of your book. Thanks, again, Ms. Carlyle, for sharing your skills and knowledge!</blockquote></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><u><b><br /></b></u></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><u><b>Christy Carlyle says:</b></u></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">One of the big challenges of book promotion is figuring out how to let people know about your book without boring them, irritating them, or simply saturating them to the point that they skip any mention of your book in their social media streams because they’re tired of hearing about it. How many of us have skimmed past fellow authors’ repeated tweets about their new release?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">As a writer with artistic tendencies and a former book cover designer, I know the power of combining words and images. Images are the most basic forms of information we process — symbols, logos, colors, and shapes. These aspects of graphic design can then pull us in so that we’re interested in reading more. I know I never mind seeing an appealing book cover or reading a beautifully written or intriguing excerpt from a book. In many cases, a few lines can hook me to the point of clicking the buy button.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">In the last few months I’ve noticed several authors combining words and images to create what I call excerpt boxes. These simple graphic images include the author’s book cover or some aspect of their cover art and a brief excerpt. Sometimes these excerpts raise questions. Sometimes they’re just beautifully written sentences that make me want to read more of the author’s work. My anecdotal evidence tells me that these quote boxes are effective. Recently, bestselling historical romance author <a href="http://www.elizabethhoyt.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Elizabeth Hoyt</span></b></a> produced several excerpt boxes prior to the release of <i><b>Dearest Rogue</b></i>. Each box I saw in my Facebook feed gave me a little more of the story. She didn’t simply post the same excerpt over and over but created a variety. Each snippet drew me deeper into her characters and her plot. By the time her book came out, I had to have it. Isn’t that the kind of anticipation we’d like to create in potential readers?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nMcZPf6KUx8/VXnG1CWZJRI/AAAAAAAABMY/EwCGpQPmVCM/s1600/ElizHoyt_DearestRogue1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nMcZPf6KUx8/VXnG1CWZJRI/AAAAAAAABMY/EwCGpQPmVCM/s400/ElizHoyt_DearestRogue1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5lfidB5_ws/VXnG1BHIVbI/AAAAAAAABMU/Z3Obk3K1SR4/s1600/ElizHoyt_DearestRogue2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5lfidB5_ws/VXnG1BHIVbI/AAAAAAAABMU/Z3Obk3K1SR4/s400/ElizHoyt_DearestRogue2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><b><i>How can you design an excerpt box?</i></b>Well, beyond Photoshop and <a href="http://www.gimp.org/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">GIMP</span></b></a>, two programs that I’ve used to create these marketing tools are <a href="http://canva.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Canva.com</b></span></a> and an iPhone app called <a href="http://wordswag.co/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Word Swag</span></b></a>. With Canva.com, you choose a square dimension for your design such as 600 x 600 pixels, and then add your excerpt and upload and position your cover. With Word Swag, you’ll need to save your cover to your phone and then you can use it as a background image on an excerpt box. If you can obtain a version of your cover without any fonts and just the art, it will make it easier to use with an option like Word Swag. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><h3 style="text-indent: 0in;"><b><i>Tips for an Effective Excerpt Box:</i></b></h3><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;</span></span>Keep the excerpt short. More than three or four short lines and you’ll lose the effectiveness of a quick, intriguing excerpt that folks will stop and read.</li><li><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">&nbsp;</span></span>Use background and font colors that harmonize or effectively contrast with your book cover design or the overall feel of your book. A good rule of thumb is to choose a secondary color in your book cover design for your excerpt box background color.</li><li>Be sure to add your author website address somewhere on your excerpt box.</li><li>If your book is currently available, include a buy link when you post your excerpt box on social media. You may entice a reader into an immediate purchase!</li></ul><!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-indent: 0in;">Here are two examples of excerpt boxes. </h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MtAh4-0HsfE/VXnG0Y-z15I/AAAAAAAABL4/_DbHfSRrnA0/s1600/1_RecklessWager_ExcerptBox.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MtAh4-0HsfE/VXnG0Y-z15I/AAAAAAAABL4/_DbHfSRrnA0/s400/1_RecklessWager_ExcerptBox.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">This box includes cover, excerpt, and web address<br />It was created with Photoshop Elements.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lgBoy_BxWgE/VXnG0fU-okI/AAAAAAAABL8/cySssNZ_BwY/s1600/2_WendyLaCapra_ExcerptBox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lgBoy_BxWgE/VXnG0fU-okI/AAAAAAAABL8/cySssNZ_BwY/s400/2_WendyLaCapra_ExcerptBox.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">This</span><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">&nbsp;box uses a portion of the cover art and an excerpt.</span><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"><br />It was made with Word Swag.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><b><i>Why a square?</i></b> Square images are favored by Facebook, Google+, and Instagram. In order to create an excerpt box for Twitter, you’ll need to create a flat rectangule in the dimensions of 440 pixels by 220 pixels.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><h3 style="text-indent: 0in;">Here’s an example of a rectangular image that would work for a Twitter upload.</h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bm1J9AXvX8/VXnG0fj4FtI/AAAAAAAABMM/x-KvLK-rpK4/s1600/3_TraceyDevlyn_BlurbBox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bm1J9AXvX8/VXnG0fj4FtI/AAAAAAAABMM/x-KvLK-rpK4/s400/3_TraceyDevlyn_BlurbBox.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<span style="text-indent: 0in;">&nbsp;</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><b><i>A word of warning…</i></b> Creating these boxes can become enjoyably addictive. Not only do they provide you with an appealing marketing tool, but they force you to pick out blurbs from your story that will capture readers. Be sure to reuse those blurbs in tweets, blog posts, or on swag you create to promote you book. <b>Have FUN!</b><o:p></o:p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.christycarlyle.com/" style="text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: blue;">www.ChristyCarlyle.com</span></b></a></div><br /><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></b><br /><div style="text-indent: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DafBgnXEpRg/VXi09PBOLxI/AAAAAAAABLc/Nzv1Unmr7CI/s1600/authorpic_Crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DafBgnXEpRg/VXi09PBOLxI/AAAAAAAABLc/Nzv1Unmr7CI/s200/authorpic_Crop.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Fueled by Pacific Northwest coffee and inspired by multiple viewings of every British costume drama she can get her hands on, Christy Carlyle writes sensual historical romance set in the Victorian era. She loves heroes who struggle against all odds and heroines who are ahead of their time. A former teacher with a degree in history, she finds there’s nothing better than being able to combine her love of the past with a die-hard belief in happy endings. Her new series, <i><b>Accidental Heirs</b></i>, debuts from Avon Impulse with <b><i>One Scandalous Kis</i>s in September 2015.</b>&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-indent: 0in;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="https://twitter.com/writerchristy" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>@writerchristy</b></span></a></span></div><br /><div style="text-indent: 0in;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://bit.ly/ccauthorFBPage" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-indent: 0in;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">http://bit.ly/ccauthorFBPage</span></a></b><br /><div><b style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></b><b style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></b></div></div></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-57292614003117316622015-06-19T04:00:00.000-07:002015-06-19T04:00:00.540-07:00Making Your Cover Work Harder by Christy Carlyle<blockquote class="tr_bq"><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Morgan &amp; Therese say:</u> Recently, our dear friend, writing buddy, and cover designer extraordinaire - <a href="http://www.christycarlyle.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Christy Carlyle</span></b></a> - gave an awesome presentation on how to utilize your book covers on social media platforms, in electronic promotions, and on your website. We liked her presentation so much, we asked her to write TWO guest posts. Thanks Ms. Carlyle for paying-it-forward and sharing your knowledge!</blockquote><br /><b><i><u>Christy Carlyle says:</u></i></b><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">A great book cover is a key aspect of any author’s marketing strategy. The quality of your book cover can entice a potential reader, even if they’re only viewing it in thumbnail while browsing Amazon or another online book retailer. I know I’ve stopped in my tracks to dig deeper, reading a blurb or scanning reviews, when a cover catches my eye. How about you? After several years as a book cover designer, I’ve learned that’s not the end of a cover’s potential. Here are a few additional ways you can make your book cover work harder for you.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">I should say up front that I come at this from the perspective that covers serve as a signature, a kind of symbolic shorthand for your book. People often recall the cover of a favorite book years after they’ve read it. As a former bookseller at Barnes &amp; Noble, I lost count of the number of times people came in looking for particular book and couldn’t remember the title or author, though they could describe the cover in extensive detail. Covers make a lasting impression. Make sure people remember your enticing cover too.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-indent: 0in;"><b><i>Maximizing Your Cover on Social Media</i></b></h3><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8Q1uP5IZEBo/VXiyxbLLnVI/AAAAAAAABLI/6sCoG6m_5qk/s1600/FBcapture_Crop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8Q1uP5IZEBo/VXiyxbLLnVI/AAAAAAAABLI/6sCoG6m_5qk/s400/FBcapture_Crop.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover designs used as a Facebook header and avatar.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-indent: 0in;">All of us tire of seeing continuous self-promotion on social media, but one simple form of social media marketing is to use your cover design as either your profile picture and/or some aspect of the design in the header portion of your social media profile. Many social media sites, including Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn, allow you to upload a header in addition to a profile image. These images should represent you and your brand. Lots of authors change their header with each new book release.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">Keeping track of the various sizes required by each platform can be migraine-inducing, I know, but I found several cheat sheets online that can help you navigate the various sites.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2015/02/ultimate-social-media-sizes-cheat-sheet-2015/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Social Media Week: ULTIMATE SOCIAL MEDIA SIZES CHEAT SHEET 2015</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><b><a href="http://blogs.constantcontact.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015-social-media-cheatsheet-one-page.png" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Social Media Image Size Cheat Sheet 2015</span></a></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">If you have basic graphic design skills, you can use graphics software like <a href="http://www.gimp.org/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">GIMP</span></b></a> to create a simple header featuring your book cover. However, thanks to sites like <a href="http://canva.com/"><b><span style="color: blue;">Canva.com</span></b></a>, you don’t need any graphic design skills to create a basic and functional header with your cover. What you do need is a decent sized (400 x 600 pixels or larger) low resolution (72 ppi or higher) version of your cover. Canva.com actually provides templates in the correct dimensions for use as a Facebook header or, if you’re using one of the cheat sheets referenced above to create a header for a different social media site, you can choose your own dimensions. The site also allows you to upload your own files, and this is how you’d add your cover to any other text, colors, or styles you might want to add to your header.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tCLYIkquZfM/VXiw2HUvCKI/AAAAAAAABKw/yzTM7Lsn85A/s1600/SWtimelinecover_novella.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tCLYIkquZfM/VXiw2HUvCKI/AAAAAAAABKw/yzTM7Lsn85A/s400/SWtimelinecover_novella.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting cover elements to work.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />If you’re a blogger or guest blogging on any topic around the time of your book release, be sure to include your cover in your post, even if it’s not specifically about your new release. It goes without saying that your cover should also be prominently displayed on your website, preferably on the front page. Don’t make it hard for visitors to find your books! And do leverage the beauty of your cover design to entice those visitors. It probably goes without saying that buy links should be included everywhere you feature your book cover on your website. They needn’t be big, but they should be there. Don’t forget to add your book cover to your blog too. Most blogs allow for sidebar widgets, and this is prime real estate for displaying your cover, preferably with live buy links, and especially during the weeks of its initial release.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><h3><b><i>Size Does Matter</i></b></h3></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HoqtCBHxKio/VXi0-4z21MI/AAAAAAAABLg/soNdAjX7oUQ/s1600/twitter3_Crop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HoqtCBHxKio/VXi0-4z21MI/AAAAAAAABLg/soNdAjX7oUQ/s400/twitter3_Crop.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using cover art in Twitter tweets.</td></tr></tbody></table>During the initial blitz of a new book’s release, you’ll probably be doing several blog posts, perhaps sending out press releases, and making sure your cover is prominently displayed on your website, blog, and social media profiles. Get your gorgeous cover solidified in people’s minds!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">As important as getting your cover out there is getting it out there in the right dimensions. The cheat sheets referenced above give information on the optimal dimensions of posts as well as headers. It’s important to keep these in mind when posting promotional tweets, for instance. Facebook loves square dimensions and Twitter loves a flat rectangle. If you post your entire cover (an upright rectangle) on Twitter, you may find that only an odd portion of it is displayed. The first time I uploaded my cover to a Twitter post, my stream displayed the end of my heroine’s nose and my hero’s chin. I quickly learned to avoid this by using photo editing software or a site like Picmonkey.com to select an appealing portion of my cover in a flat rectangular shape (see the dimensions in one of the cheat sheets).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">&nbsp;Another important reminder is that for digital display, a high-resolution image is not required. High-resolution is often confused with high quality, but in terms of digital display — on your website, on your blog, on social media — a high-quality, correctly sized low resolution image is your best friend. Using a high-resolution image on social media might get it processed through the sites’ compression algorithms and could result in a pixelated image. Using a high-resolution image on your website could cause the image to load more slowly for some visitors. The key to a high quality, low resolution image is maintaining the dimensions of the image. In other words, don’t stretch it.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div><span style="text-indent: 0in;">Don’t <span style="font-family: inherit;">be afraid to show off your excellent cover. It’s a form of book marketing that’s less intrusive than endless repeated tweets, braggin</span>g about great reviews, and posting continual “buy my book” pleas. If your cover is gorgeous, no one will mind seeing it again and again. It serves as a kind of logo for your story, and that visual impression often makes more of an impact than any pithy sales pitch you could devise.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.christycarlyle.com/"><b><span style="color: blue;">www.ChristyCarlyle.com</span></b></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DafBgnXEpRg/VXi09PBOLxI/AAAAAAAABLc/Nzv1Unmr7CI/s1600/authorpic_Crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DafBgnXEpRg/VXi09PBOLxI/AAAAAAAABLc/Nzv1Unmr7CI/s200/authorpic_Crop.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Fueled by Pacific Northwest coffee and inspired by multiple viewings of every British costume drama she can get her hands on, Christy Carlyle writes sensual historical romance set in the Victorian era. She loves heroes who struggle against all odds and heroines who are ahead of their time. A former teacher with a degree in history, she finds there’s nothing better than being able to combine her love of the past with a die-hard belief in happy endings. Her new series, <b><i>Accidental Heirs</i></b>, debuts from Avon Impulse with <b><i>One Scandalous Kiss</i> in September 2015</b>.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/writerchristy" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-indent: 0in;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>@writerchristy</b></span></a></div><br /><div style="text-indent: 0in;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bit.ly/ccauthorFBPage" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="color: blue;">http://bit.ly/ccauthorFBPage</span></b></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-29470952044146625722015-06-05T04:00:00.000-07:002015-06-05T04:00:05.673-07:00Conference Season for Authors<blockquote class="tr_bq">Writer conferences, conventions and workshops are scheduled all year long and attendance is recommended for anyone who wants to create a career in the world of books and publishing, no matter how much that venue has changed in recent years.<br />To help our readers, here are a few links pulled from the past three years of articles already posted on this site.&nbsp;</blockquote><h3><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2014/05/conference-conventions-to-do-what-not.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Conference &amp; Conventions: To Do &amp; What NOT To Do - Any Questions?</span></a></h3>Friday, May 23, 2014<br /><div>This month, we attended the <a href="https://www.rtconvention.com/"><b><span style="color: blue;">RT Booklovers Convention</span></b></a> (RT) in New Orleans, LA. RT is a reader focused event sponsored by <a href="http://www.rtbookreviews.com/"><b><span style="color: blue;">RT Book Reviews</span></b></a>. This event is designed to celebrate romance readers and writers, and as a result agents, editors, and a vast swath of professionals in the publishing industry attend this event. Why? Because READERS, especially avid readers, do not limit themselves to one section of the bookstore. This is a unique event where the decision makers in publishing can have direct contact with customers who buy books To Read - not as part of a corporate revenue stream. [<a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2014/05/conference-conventions-to-do-what-not.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">READ MORE</span></b></a>]<br /><div><br /></div><div><h3><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2014/06/how-to-work-conference.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">How to Work a Conference</span></a></h3>Friday, June 6, 2014<br />What do we mean when we say "work" a conference?</div><div><br />There are two kinds of people who go to conferences and conventions:<br />1) People who are there to ATTEND the conference (attendees).<br />2) People who are there to WORK the conference (workers). &nbsp;&nbsp;[<a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2014/06/how-to-work-conference.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">READ MORE</span></b></a>]<br /><br /><h3><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2013/02/networking-primary-pull.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Networking - the primary Pull</span></a></h3>Friday, February 15, 2013</div><div>One of the finest points of Pull Marketing is so basic it's actually a Golden Rule of good behavior: &nbsp;Treat others as You want to be Treated. &nbsp;&nbsp;[<a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2013/02/networking-primary-pull.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">READ MORE</span></b></a>]<br /><br /><h3><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/11/turning-marketing-messages-into-actual.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Turning Marketing Messages Into Actual Purchases: My Nikki Navarre Adventure</span></a></h3>Friday, November 9, 2012<br />Morgan here with a Field Report from the <a href="http://www.gsrwa.org/conference.php"><b><span style="color: blue;">Emerald City Writers' Conference</span></b></a> in Seattle, WA. <br /><br />Lately, Therese and I have heard many a tale of woe and frustration from published authors who feel their marketing efforts are wasted energy. Speaking from personal experience, I can't stress how much marketing is a marathon NOT a sprint. You have to give your marketing efforts time to marinade. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[<a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/11/turning-marketing-messages-into-actual.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">READ MORE</span></b></a>]<br /><br /><br /><h3><a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/11/pop-marketing-bookfair-and-author.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">POP Marketing: Bookfair and Author Signing at ECWC</span></a></h3>Wednesday, November 7, 2012</div><div>Oh how we love a good bookfair! And the bookfair at the <a href="http://www.gsrwa.org/conference.php"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Emerald City Writers' Conference 2012</b></span></a>&nbsp;was a wonderful mix of meeting new people and touching base with old friends. The POP marketing varied from elaborate to nonexistent. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[<a href="http://www.authormarketing101.com/2012/11/pop-marketing-bookfair-and-author.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">READ MORE</span></b></a>]</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Of course, the most important thing to remember about attending any professional event - be your best authentic self and have fun!</b></span></blockquote></div></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675321506703392828.post-82558311716188641682015-05-22T04:00:00.000-07:002015-05-22T04:00:02.402-07:00Reflections on a Craft Class: Hanging with Mary Buckham<u><i><b>Morgan says:</b></i></u> Like we've said before and we'll say it again, the best form of marketing is writing a GREAT book! And many of the best authors are perpetual learners. With these thoughts in mind, I followed Gina Fluharty's lead and enrolled in <a href="http://marybuckham.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Mary Buckham's</span></b></a><i>&nbsp;<a href="http://marybuckham.com/power-plotting-workshop/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Power Plotting Workshop</span></b></a>. </i>This two-day class was a working session based on the book she co-wrote with Dianna Love titled: <i>Break Into Fiction</i>. We spent two-days working through the templates in the book and meeting one-on-one with Ms. Buckham on our individual plots and stories. To say that she was a HUGE help to me would be the understatement of the year. (I now have a plot for my third book in my YA Steampunk series, a story arc for my five book series, and key series points for each of the five books.)<br /><br /><h3>What does all of this have to do with marketing?</h3><br />Well, you all know that I am perpetually on the hunt for marketing done right and well. Here are a few marketing things Mary Buckham executed extremely well:<br /><br /><ol><li><b>She teaches classes.</b> Not only are her classes an awesome way to share her knowledge and 'pay it forward,' it is also a great way to network and sell books. The class was based on a text she co-wrote. Most of us purchased or owned copies of the complete text prior to attending the class.</li><li><b>POP-up banners were in the room silently advertising her books.</b> In the picture below you can clearly see one of the two banners she had in the room in the background. Notice that even in this picture her name is large enough to be read, as well as the header "Writing Active" for her series of books on settings.</li><li><b>Her books were on display and available for sale. </b>Behind us in the picture below was a table that displayed both her fiction and nonfiction books. Signs clearly stated the prices and discount if you bought more than one. (Yup - I bought four of her books on the spot.)</li><li><b>Promotional pieces, bookmarks, and free takeaways were available</b>. Even if you didn't buy a book, promo pieces and bookmarks were also on the book table free for anyone to take. Maybe someone didn't have the money to make a buy on that day; now they have a professionally printed and produced promo piece so that they can make a buy later or pass it on to a friend.</li><li><b>Mary Buckham was wonderfully personal and fun!</b> Heck - she made such a strong and positive impression on me, I am now writing a blog post about her! Talk about buzz marketing...now <i>our</i> audience knows about <i>her</i> class and <i>her </i>BOOKS. You never know who you are going to meet in a writing craft class or at a conference. Certainly, you'll meet other authors...but remember, authors are readers, bloggers, podcasters, etc., too. Use these personal interactions to make a lasting positive impression and allow your persona to shine.</li></ol><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--vDy7XcPeto/VSNHrrybDOI/AAAAAAAABKA/YGiSD9i7Imo/s1600/IMG_1038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--vDy7XcPeto/VSNHrrybDOI/AAAAAAAABKA/YGiSD9i7Imo/s1600/IMG_1038.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C. Morgan Kennedy &amp; Mary Buckham - Notice the POP-up banner on the left.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>It is often the subtle forms of marketing that are the most powerful and effective.</b></h4><div><br /></div><div><u><i><b>Points to Ponder:</b></i></u></div><div><ul><li>What skills do you have that can be shared?&nbsp;</li><li>How can you leverage these sharing opportunities to market your books?</li></ul></div>Therese and Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853009849492916024noreply@blogger.com9